Category: English

1 It was our first time attempting the high-altitude, single-hand throw lift during pairs training. My partner, who also happened to be my boyfriend, Tristan, failed to catch me. I plummeted straight onto the razor-sharp edge of his skate blade. The impact severed my Achilles tendon instantly. He held me on the ice as I bled, sobbing hysterically. In the weeks that followed, guilt kept him awake night after night, leaving him too terrified to even step back onto the ice. So when Coach Helena approached me, begging me to convince Tristan to resume training for the upcoming Winter Olympics, I didn’t hesitate. I rolled my wheelchair straight toward the rink. But as I approached the locker room, I overheard a conversation between Tristan and my alternate, Mika. “Keira is done. She will never step onto the ice again, Tristan. Your partner is me now, and it can only be me.” “Hold me, please?” Tristan’s voice was thick with hesitation. “I can’t do this to her.” “You already have. Those newly sharpened, altered blades, you’re the one who secretly disposed of them, aren’t you?” Mika’s voice turned into a soft, venomous purr. “Just admit it, Tristan. You’ve fallen for me.” Watching their silhouettes melt into an embrace through the cracked door, the physical agony of my severed tendon paled in comparison to the sudden, icy void opening in my chest. It felt as though I had been plunged naked into a frozen lake. I wheeled myself back to our apartment, my mind a chaotic blur of the scene I had just witnessed. Mika wanted my spot on the Olympic team, so she had sabotaged Tristan’s skates with dangerously sharpened blades, knowing what the impact would do to me. And my boyfriend, the man I trusted with my life, had realized it immediately. While everyone was frantic over my bleeding ankle, he had quietly destroyed the evidence. During my weeks in a wheelchair, he had knelt at my feet every single day, weeping and begging for forgiveness for his careless mistake. He had said, “If you never walk again, Keira, I’ll never skate again either.” Injuries are part of the sport, so I had never blamed him. Instead, I spent my days comforting him, hiding my own despair to soothe his guilt. Now, looking back, I wondered what he had actually been thinking during those quiet moments. Was he hoping for my recovery, or was he just relieved that his precious Mika’s crime remained buried? The click of the front door broke the silence. Tristan walked in, his expression tense and unnatural. Following closely behind him was Mika, looking equally solemn. He managed a weak, rehearsed smile. “Hey, sweetheart. You must be hungry. I brought takeout from that Italian place you love.” At the dinner table, the air was thick with unspoken words. They kept glancing at each other, waiting for me to make the first move, to ask the questions they were dying to answer. But I kept my eyes on my plate, silently chewing, refusing to grant them the easy way out. Finally, Mika couldn’t take the silence anymore. “Keira, Coach Helena wants me to partner with Tristan. The Winter Olympics are only a few months away. Do you… do you hate me for taking your place?” They had already made their decision. This performative guilt was just a pathetic attempt to ease their own consciences. They wanted me to bless their union so they could skate without looking like monsters. I looked up, my voice flat. “The competition is what matters. Besides, you’ve trained hard for this, haven’t you?” They exchanged a quick look, a visible wave of relief washing over both of them. After dinner, as Tristan went to clear the table, Mika smoothly took the plates from his hands. “Let me handle this, Tristan. Go sit and talk to Keira.” She moved around our kitchen with practiced ease, tossing my favorite yellow peonies into the trash and replacing them with a fresh vase of lilies of the valley she had brought with her. Her movements were so seamless, so natural, as if she were already the mistress of this house. I told them I needed to use the restroom. As Tristan went to stand, Mika quickly intercepted him, grabbing the handles of my wheelchair. “I’ve got her. It’s a bit awkward for a guy to help with this anyway.” Tristan offered her a soft, grateful smile. “Thanks, Mika. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” They had their own silent understanding. Neither of them seemed to realize how absurd it was that my own boyfriend of nearly twenty years would find it awkward to help me to the bathroom. Whether by accident or design, as she went to help me transfer from the chair, her grip suddenly went completely limp. I lost my balance, collapsing heavily onto the floor. My healing ankle slammed hard against the sharp edge of the bathroom step. A sharp, blinding agony tore through my leg, and a scream ripped from my throat. Hearing the commotion, Tristan rushed into the hallway. But before his hands could reach me, Mika let out a sharp cry of her own. She held up her hand, where a broken fingernail was oozing a tiny bead of blood. “Oh my god, it hurts so much! I don’t know why, but Keira suddenly pushed me! I tried to catch her, and my nail snapped! It hurts, Tristan!” My forehead was slick with cold sweat. “Tristan, take me to the ER,” I choked out, clutching my throbbing ankle. My Achilles tendon could not survive a secondary rupture. Mika whimpered, looking at me with tear-filled eyes. “Keira, are you doing this because you’re angry about the Olympic partnership?” Tristan, who had been taking a step toward me, froze. He looked down at me, his gaze suddenly hardening with disappointment and blame. “This was the athletic association’s decision, Keira. You shouldn’t let your personal jealousy get in the way of national glory.” With those words, he turned away from my bleeding leg, lifting Mika in his arms, and walked out the door without looking back. I watched their retreating figures, too exhausted to even cry. My only thought was that I couldn’t let my leg be ruined forever. Clawing my way from the cold bathroom floor to the living room couch, every inch of movement felt like a hot knife slicing through my flesh. It took me nearly twenty minutes of agony just to reach my phone and call for an ambulance. By the time Tristan finally showed up at the hospital, I had already undergone emergency corrective surgery. The surgeon’s words still echoed in my ears: one more trauma to this tendon, and I would walk with a permanent limp, never to skate again. I looked up at Tristan from the sterile hospital bed. “Do you know what I was thinking when they wheeled me into surgery?” He didn’t answer. “I was thinking that if I can never step on the ice again, I’ll have nothing left to live for.” Since we were children, I had always told him that figure skating was my religion. I would give everything for it, including my life. Back then, Tristan had looked at me with adoration and said, “I just want to be the one standing beside you in your sanctuary.” He wasn’t naturally gifted. But to earn the right to stand next to me, he had pushed himself to the absolute limit, risking career-ending injuries just to hear the coach say he was worthy of being my partner. I had cherished him just as much as I cherished the sport. I truly believed we would glide through life together until our hair turned gray. Tristan reached out, his hand trembling as he took mine, his eyes swimming with guilt. “I’m so sorry, Keira. I had no idea it was this bad. Mika told me you were just trying to pick a fight to make her look bad.” “She feels incredibly guilty, too. She was too ashamed to face you. And her hand was injured…” I looked him dead in the eye. “Tristan, if I told you she dropped me on purpose, would you believe me?” His eyes flickered, shifting away from mine in a stiff, awkward motion. “Keira, Mika can be a bit impulsive and blunt sometimes, but you shouldn’t let your bitterness turn into slander. You’re better than this.” Mika. Not my alternate. Not the rookie. Just Mika. Looking at this man whom I had loved for nearly two decades, a profound sense of exhaustion washed over me. I slowly turned my back to him, refusing to say another word. He stood there awkwardly for a long time until his phone rang with a call from the training center. Before leaving, he hesitated near the door. “Next week is our first public exhibition as a pair. Mika wants you to be there to guide her. It’s for the national team’s reputation, Keira. Please don’t let your stubbornness ruin this.” I stared at the pale wall. “Tristan, how long have we been together?” “Next week… it’ll be twenty years.” Twenty years. A lifetime. We had been inseparable since we first learned to tie our laces. And now, he brushed off Mika’s malicious sabotage as mere impulsiveness, while treating my pain as malicious jealousy. What a pathetic excuse for a partner. But I still went to the exhibition. Sitting in my wheelchair at the edge of the rink, I watched the two of them glide in perfect harmony. For a fleeting second, I saw a ghost of my former self on the ice. I remembered the first time I met Mika. She was just a little girl huddled in the corner of a public rink, crying because her family couldn’t afford proper coaching. She had raw talent, a natural grace that made her look like she owned the ice even when her form was clumsy. I couldn’t bear to see that potential go to waste. I had walked over, extended my hand, and said, “Come with me. I’ll teach you how to fly.” Back then, she had looked up at me with starry eyes, calling me her idol. I never could have imagined that the sweet girl I rescued would eventually tear my life apart. A hand gently rested on my shoulder, breaking my reverie. My senior mentor and coach, Helena, sat down beside me. “What do you think?” she asked softly. “She’s good,” I replied. “Her jumps are clean, and her extensions are sharp. She has a real shot at the podium.” Helena shook her head, her gaze fixed on the ice. “Don’t you think she looks too much like you?” “Or rather, she is trying her absolute best to recreate you, to copy every single detail.” Watching Mika, I realized Helena was right. Even the precise angle of her arms during her transitions was an exact replica of my own style. “She’s been asking me for your old training footage for three years now,” Helena whispered. Three years. That was only a year after I brought her to the national training center. So she had been plotting to replace me from the very beginning. As the swelling crescendo of the music filled the arena, I finally understood what Mika wanted me to see. A triple axel, followed by three successive leaps, transitioning into a sweeping black swan glide across the ice, before finally collapsing like a sleeping child against Tristan’s knee as they spun. It was a sequence that required an insane amount of core strength, with only a single point of balance at the waist. It was my signature sequence. The routine that had won Tristan and me our world championship titles. Almost instantly, the eyes of everyone in the arena shifted toward me. Some held pity, some shock, and others a sick sense of amusement. When the music died down, Mika glided gracefully toward the barrier, stopping right in front of my wheelchair. “How did I do, Keira?” she asked, her voice sweet yet dripping with triumph. “You did well,” I murmured. Helena stood up, her tone sharp and demanding. “Mika, when did you learn that sequence?” Before Mika could open her mouth, Tristan stepped in. “There’s nothing wrong with learning techniques from other elite skaters, Coach. It’s common practice.” While skaters often study each other’s mechanics, copying an entire signature sequence step-for-step was a blatant insult. It was Mika’s way of marking her territory, telling me that I had been completely erased. I reached out and patted Helena’s hand. “It’s fine, Helena. If a routine can be so easily copied, then it was never truly unique to begin with.” But in reality, that sequence had taken me months of grueling practice and countless falls to perfect. More importantly, it required an absolute, instinctive connection between partners. You couldn’t practice it alone. Mika’s execution was too seamless to be a recent development. Which meant she and Tristan had been practicing my routine behind my back for months, perhaps even years. Even if the accident hadn’t happened, Tristan would have eventually found another excuse to put her in my spot. I asked Helena to wheel me out. But as we turned, Tristan called out after me. “Keira, wait!” I looked back. “What is it?” “Wait for me to finish this afternoon’s session. I’ll take you to your physical therapy appointment.” He looked desperate, as if trying to prove that even if my routine could be stolen, he couldn’t be. Catching the subtle darkening in Mika’s eyes behind him, I offered a faint, empty smile. “Sure.” Deep down, I knew he wouldn’t make it. But I stayed in the arena lobby anyway, staring at the white sheets of ice through the glass. I wasn’t sure what I was waiting for. Maybe I just didn’t want my twenty years of dedication to end so abruptly. Or maybe the ice was the only place that still offered me some semblance of peace. During the afternoon break, Tristan came out. He wheeled me onto the ice, pushing the chair at a thrilling speed, gliding backward while keeping his eyes locked onto mine. He smiled, the familiar warmth returning to his face. “As long as I can skate, Keira, I’ll keep dancing with you on the ice. You will always have me.” It was the same promise he whispered before every major competition. “Tristan is forever devoted to Keira. Trust me.” He reached into his pocket and slid a ring onto my finger. “I should have given this to you sooner. If it weren’t for the accident, we would already be married.” I looked down at the ring. The diamond setting was shaped like our first gold trophy, with two tiny figures skating together engraved along the band. It was beautifully, meticulously designed. “Let’s get married next week, Keira. Let’s start our next twenty years together, okay?” His eyes were bright, filled only with my reflection. For a second, I couldn’t tell if this was born of lingering guilt or genuine devotion. My fingers tightened around the band. But just as I opened my mouth to speak, a sharp, agonizing shriek echoed from the locker rooms. It was Mika. Without a single second of hesitation, Tristan let go of my wheelchair. He turned and ran toward the sound, his sudden movement jolting my chair so hard it nearly tipped over. My arm slammed violently against the metal armrest. It throbbed with pain. By the time Helena wheeled me to the scene, a crowd had gathered. Mika was sitting on the bench, her bare feet covered in blood, with shards of broken glass scattered around her skate bag. She was sobbing hysterically as Tristan knelt before her, gently wiping away her tears. Seeing me enter, Mika looked up, biting her lip with an expression of profound betrayal. “Keira… why would you do this to me?” I stared at her, genuinely baffled. “What are you talking about?” “Just because I skated your sequence, you wanted to ruin my feet?” she cried, her voice trembling. “You wanted to destroy me!” A dry laugh escaped my lips. “And what makes you think I did this?” “Only you have the spare key to my locker! If it wasn’t you, did I put the glass in my own skates?” Her words were sharp, painting me as a bitter, vengeful monster. When she first joined the training center, she had been lost and dependent on me. I had looked after her, even keeping her spare key because she constantly misplaced things. Now, my kindness had been twisted into a weapon against me. “It wasn’t me,” I said simply. “I know I shouldn’t have taken your spot or your partner,” Mika sobbed, looking around at the murmuring onlookers. “But even if you hate me, could you have at least waited until after the Olympics? I just wanted to skate for our country…” I raised my voice, trying to stay calm. “I told you, I didn’t do it. You can check the security cameras, I haven’t been near the locker rooms today…” “Enough!” Tristan’s voice cut me off, loud and harsh. “Keira, you’ve disappointed me beyond words.” He scooped Mika up in his arms. As he brushed past my wheelchair, I reached out and grabbed the edge of his jacket. “The question you asked me on the ice,” I whispered, staring up at him. “Do you still want my answer?” He didn’t even look at me. Shucking off my grip, he carried Mika down the hallway, leaving me behind for the second time. I stared at my empty hands, then slowly pulled out a crumpled business card that a European scout had slipped into my pocket weeks ago. I dialed the number. “Hello, this is Keira. I’m ready to accept your offer.” Before leaving for good, I needed closure. I wheeled myself to the hospital where Mika had been admitted. But as I reached her room, Tristan’s muffled, strained voice drifted through the door. “We can’t do this, Mika. I just proposed to Keira.” Mika’s voice was thick with tears. “But we are the ones who belong together now. She only makes you chase her. When you skate with me, you’re actually happy, doesn’t it feel that way?” A long, heavy silence followed. It was the only answer she needed. Finally, Tristan spoke. “Keira has waited for me for so long. Other than skating, I’m all she has left. We already took away her career. If I abandon her now, she won’t survive.” He knew. He knew exactly what they had stolen from me, yet he had still chosen to protect her because she was the one who mattered. His proposal on the ice wasn’t a promise of love; it was a pity prize to keep me from falling apart. I looked down at the ring on my finger, slipped it off, and dropped it into a nearby trash can. There was no need for a dramatic farewell. I turned my wheelchair around and left. But the drama followed me. Someone had snapped photos of Tristan and Mika in the hospital corridor and posted them online. Within hours, the internet erupted in fury. The golden couple of pairs skating was dead. The public was outraged, pointing out that Keira was still in a wheelchair while they flaunted their affair. People began to suspect the breakup had happened much earlier, and some even questioned if Keira’s injury had truly been an accident, wondering if they had sabotaged her to take her spot. Mika was bombarded with demands to leave the team. Amid the storm of public condemnation, my phone rang. It was Tristan. There was no apology, no explanation. Only panic. “Keira, you need to release a statement to the press right now. Mika is crying her eyes out. She is young, she can’t handle this kind of cyberbullying.” “What do you want me to say?” I asked, my voice deadly quiet. “Just tell them your injury was a freak accident during training. That it had nothing to do with us.” “And the photo of you two kissing in the hallway?” “I’ll explain that to you later. Mika was just having a panic attack, and I didn’t push her away in time. Besides, if you hadn’t put glass in her skates, none of this would have happened!” Our betrayal had somehow become my fault. “How do you want me to spin it?” “I’ll post a statement saying we broke up a long time ago, and that I’m dating Mika now. You need to back it up so she doesn’t look like a homewrecker. We can put the wedding on hold for a bit. Once the drama dies down, we’ll get married.” His words were so casual, so dismissive of the ruin he had brought upon me. “Tristan, you two made this mess,” I said. “You’re the ones who owe me an apology.” I hung up. But Tristan was faster than I anticipated. He released a public statement shortly after. “Keira and I ended our relationship a long time ago. My relationship with Mika is completely normal. Keira’s injury was a tragic training accident that has nothing to do with anyone else.” But the internet didn’t buy it, pointing out the suspicious timing of the announcement right after the hospital photos leaked. Tristan replied directly to the skeptics, claiming he had wanted to protect my dignity, but since they insisted, he alleged we broke up because my jealousy had led me to bully my younger, more talented teammates. Mika immediately followed up by posting a picture of her bandaged, bleeding foot alongside her blood-stained skates, claiming she was only being comforted at the hospital because someone had put shattered glass in her boots. The narrative began to shift. The final blow came when the national athletic federation’s official social media account liked Tristan’s post and leaked a carefully edited security clip of Mika sobbing in the locker room, accusing me of sabotaging her. Suddenly, the tide of public hatred turned entirely on me. I became the bitter, crippled villain who had tried to sabotage her country’s Olympic chances. When I went to the clinic for my checkup, strangers spat insults at me in the streets. During all of this, Tristan never reached out once. Sitting in the departure lounge at the airport, I received two text messages. One was from Helena. It was simple: “I’m sorry.” I understood. Between a crippled skater who might never walk again and a rising star destined for the Olympics, the federation had made the logical choice to protect their investment. The second text was from Tristan: “Keira, this was the only way to handle things quickly. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. We’ll get married right after the Winter Games.” I didn’t reply to either. I dropped my phone into the trash can next to the boarding gate, turned my back on the country that had abandoned me, and boarded my flight to Europe.

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1 When I was eighteen, I used my heart’s blood to save Terry after he was shipwrecked, binding us in a three-year tribulation contract. But on the day of our ninth wedding attempt, Terry backed out again. Instead of arguing as I had in the past, I calmly proposed, “Let’s just call it off.” He frowned, his tone carrying a mix of exasperation and blame. “Don’t throw a temper tantrum. Amara isn’t doing well right now. This trip is very important to her. It’s just a one-week delay. We’ll get married the moment we get back.” I remained quiet for a moment, then finally nodded. Amara’s custom ringtone went off. Before leaving, he smiled and ran his fingers through my hair. “Be good. I promise, this is the last time. When I get back, I’ll transfer that beach house you love into your name.” I forced a tight, painful smile. There wouldn’t be a next time. Terry didn’t know that I was the last mermaid left in the world. If he didn’t choose me completely, I would dissolve into nothingness beneath the next full moon, exactly six days from now. “Bang!” The front door slammed shut, sharp and final. I stood alone in the center of the silent room, a dull, familiar ache beginning to throb beneath my skin. I quickly made my way to the bathroom. Under the running water, a faint, barely visible shimmer rippled across my skin, like a fading signal. After some time, the burning pain finally subsided. My limbs felt stiff, taking me back to the day I first stepped ashore. Back then, walking on the sand felt like treading on glass. Every step was the reminding price of survival. And in the end, despite bleeding for him, I still couldn’t win Terry’s heart. Just as I went to step out, the lock clicked. Terry walked back in, carrying the faint, unmistakable scent of medicine. It was the scent of his fragile, sickly adoptive sister, the girl he always had to protect. I stepped out of the bathroom, cold and dripping with water. He paused, not coming any closer. He raised an eyebrow. “A cold shower? Was your temper really that flared up?” My face was pale, and I didn’t answer. He didn’t care. He spoke casually. “Amara was worried you’d be bored here alone. Pack your bags tonight. We’re leaving tomorrow, and you’re coming with us.” I froze, looking up at him. Terry brushed his thumb gently against the corner of my eye, a soft laugh slipping from his lips. “You’re always jealous of me spending time alone with Amara. This should make you happy, shouldn’t it?” My body went rigid. He quickly withdrew his hand to check his phone. Without looking up, he added, “By the way, we’re heading to the desert. Amara has always wanted to see the night sky there.” My pupils contracted, my fingers trembling. “I… Can I stay behind?” “You know I can’t handle the heat, and my dehydration condition…” Terry looked up from his screen, his expression hardening. He let out a cold scoff. “Dehydration condition? You’re just being dramatic.” Before I could explain, his gaze turned icy. “Amara is in much worse health and she didn’t complain. She wanted to include you out of kindness, and this is how you repay her?” The blood drained from my face, leaving me speechless. Terry stared at me for a few seconds, letting out a weary sigh. “Neri, I don’t want to fight with you right before our wedding.” My body remained stiff as I looked into his warm yet unyielding eyes. “Don’t make me repeat myself.” Under his heavy gaze, I finally whispered, “Okay.” Terry smiled, satisfied. He tapped his screen a few times, and the ticket confirmation popped up before my eyes. This was the ninth time he had used our wedding as a bargaining chip to force me to yield. Even though I knew the inevitable outcome, I still found myself stupidly hoping. The door opened and closed. Terry left with a light step, eager to return to Amara. I looked out the window, watching the moon grow fuller in the night sky. 2 The desert was more brutal than I had imagined. The air was dry enough to leach every drop of moisture from a human body. Even wrapped up tightly, my skin burned fiercely. Just as I unscrewed a bottle of ice water to drink, Amara backed up and bumped into me. The bottle slipped and crashed onto the sand. The water sank into the dry ground instantly, leaving only a dark, fleeting stain. Amara looked apologetic. “I’m so sorry, Nerissa. Here, you can have my water…” Terry stepped in, pulling her back by the hand. “You’re too weak to go without water.” Then he glanced at me carelessly. “Just hold on. We’ll have water once we reach the camp.” I struggled to breathe. Beneath my layers of clothing, my skin was already starting to crack. The sun grew harsher. Amara suddenly touched her forehead and whimpered, “Terry, the sun is so bright. I feel dizzy.” Terry stopped immediately. His eyes swept over my heavily bundled figure, and without a shred of hesitation, he said, “Neri, give Amara your coat and sunglasses.” My body shook. I looked at Terry with pleading eyes. “I can’t. I’ll…” Terry’s patience wore thin. “Amara is sick. She needs them more than you do. It’s just a little sun, what are you so afraid of?” Seeing me shake my head frantically, his patience evaporated. He grabbed my wrist, tearing the protective wrap from my body. “Neri, don’t be ungrateful.” The harsh sunlight beat down directly on my face and neck. Instantly, a horrifying rash of red burns and tiny blood blisters flared across my skin. When we first started dating three years ago, Terry had noticed my fear of the sun. He had silently taken off his jacket to shield my head for an entire afternoon, never mentioning that his own shoulders had blistered and peeled from the heat. He still knew how to care for someone. It was just that the person he cared for was no longer me. I bit my lip hard, refusing to let out a cry of pain. Amara gasped and took a step back. Terry covered her eyes, frowning with disgust as he looked at me. “What did you touch to break out like that? It’s hideous.” Without another word, he wrapped his arm around Amara and turned to leave. I stood alone in the heat, my hands shaking as I reached into the depths of my bag for a small bottle. It was filled with seawater I had brought with me. I opened the cap, but before I could spray it onto my burning skin, a hand snatched it away. Terry had doubled back. He stared at me, holding the bottle tightly. “Is this trash what you’ve been spraying on yourself to cause this reaction?” “Give it back!” My voice cracked with absolute terror. “Please, Terry, give it back. That’s seawater, it’s not trash…” Terry blinked, momentarily taken aback. He had probably never seen me lose my composure like this. But his expression quickly turned cold, and he tossed the bottle far out into the desert. I reached out, but I could only watch as the bottle landed on the sand, rolling a few times before being buried by the shifting wind. “Stop buying this useless junk,” he said coldly. “Neri, you should see what you look like right now. If you don’t care about your own appearance, at least don’t scare Amara.” His voice was swallowed by the desert wind. I stared at the sand, my eyes dry and burning, but my body could no longer produce a single tear. By the time we reached the camp, I could barely stand. A guide helped me to a chair and handed me a bottle of room-temperature water. But I didn’t even have the strength to open it. Terry was making a call nearby, his voice sounding tense and anxious. Through my blurring vision, I saw Amara leaning against him, looking fragile and pale. When he finished the call, he scooped her up in his arms. As he passed my chair, his footsteps paused. But the next second, Amara whimpered, “Terry…” Terry didn’t wait. He walked away with large strides. Their figures grew smaller and smaller until they vanished. My lips parted, but my throat couldn’t form a sound. As my vision faded into black, the last thing I saw was the sand dunes outside the tent, dyed blood-red by the setting sun. They looked like a burning sea. 3 I was awakened by my phone ringing. By the time I opened my eyes, the ringing had stopped. I was in a crude medical facility with an IV drip of saline hooked to my hand. I picked up my phone to find seven or eight missed calls from Terry. I stared at the screen for a moment before calling back. He answered almost instantly. “Neri, why didn’t you answer? Do you have any idea how worried I was?” My eyes welled with tears, my throat raw as sand. “I passed out from dehydration…” “Amara isn’t doing well right now. She needs a blood transfusion,” Terry interrupted, his voice frantic. “Your blood type is rare and matches hers. I already booked your flight back. Get to the airport immediately.” My limbs went numb. The phone slipped from my fingers, clattering onto the bed. Not hearing a response, Terry’s voice grew stern. “Nerissa, did you hear me? Don’t waste time, Amara can’t wait.” I licked my dry, cracked lips and finally managed a raspy whisper. “Okay.” The screen went black, reflecting a haggard face I barely recognized as my own. When I walked into the hospital, my steps were unsteady. The nurse took one look at my damaged skin and frowned. “Your veins are too collapsed from severe dehydration. You aren’t fit to donate blood.” Before I could speak, Terry walked in, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Do it anyway.” As the needle pierced my skin, I closed my eyes. The blood flowed through the plastic tube, carrying my remaining life with it. The first time I met Terry on land, he had been lying in a pool of his own blood. I had sliced open my wrist to let my mermaid blood flow into his mouth to save him. When he woke up, he held my hand and swore, “My life belongs to you now. I will cherish you forever.” He had promised to keep my secret. Now, he was draining my life to save his adoptive sister. “Mr. Drake, Miss Amara’s condition has stabilized. We can stop the transfusion now.” The voice sounded like it was coming from a great distance. I couldn’t hear clearly. I only saw Terry look at me, a sudden look of shock freezing his features. But he quickly looked away, his voice still tense. “Keep drawing. Just in case.” The moonlight seeped through the blinds. It wasn’t the full moon yet, but I could hear the sea drying up inside my veins. When it was finally over, I pushed myself up from the chair. My legs buckled. The skin on the back of my hand peeled away, exposing grey, dead tissue underneath. But no one noticed. Terry let out a sigh of relief, his gaze softening as he looked at me. I didn’t look back. I forced myself to walk out, concentrating every ounce of my energy just to keep from collapsing. Near the exit, I ran into Amara. She gave me a weak smile. “Thank you, Nerissa. Terry told me your blood is special and could save me. He’d do anything to keep me safe. I’m sorry for causing so much trouble.” Terry held her up, murmuring, “Why aren’t you resting in bed?” I bit my tongue to keep myself conscious. Ignoring them, I dragged myself back to the villa alone. I turned on every faucet in the bathroom and tumbled into the tub. Only then did the rapid drain on my life slow down. Looking at my reflection in the water, I saw cracks running across my skin like a dry riverbed. My eyes were sunken, my skin grey and dull. I tried to cover it with my hair, but clumps of it broke off from the roots, floating away in the water. A wave of panic seized me. I scrambled out of the tub and threw on every layer of clothing I could find, wrapping myself completely to hide my decaying body. Hours later, Terry returned with Amara and a few of his friends. Seeing the heavy curtains drawn, blocking out all light, one of his friends joked, “Is your girl putting on a surprise for you, Terry?” “Or maybe she’s playing hide-and-seek. The wedding is tomorrow, after all!” Terry’s face darkened as he threw open the doors. Finally, in the last room, they found me curled into a tight ball in the corner. “What are you doing now?” he snapped, walking over to tear the heavy layers of clothing away. When my body was exposed to the light, Terry froze. The room fell into a dead silence. 4 Dry, shriveled skin, thinning hair, hollow eyes… Everyone gasped in horror. No one spoke. Terry’s brow furrowed deeply. “You…” Amara suddenly let out a soft laugh. “Is this a cosplay, Nerissa?” “The makeup is so realistic, it actually scared me.” The others laughed along. “Terry, your fiancée is pretty creative. Is there going to be a performance at the wedding tomorrow?” “This special effects makeup is incredible. It looks so real.” Terry’s expression grew even more annoyed. He stared at me for a few seconds, his irritation turning into disgust. “Nerissa, what are you trying to accomplish?” “Did you make yourself look like a monster just to disgust me? To embarrass me in front of my friends?” My fingers trembled. I avoided their gazes, grabbing my coat to cover myself up again. Amara spoke softly. “Terry, don’t be mad. She was probably just playing a joke.” This only made him angrier. “Go wash that trash off your face, or don’t expect me to show up at the altar tomorrow.” He took Amara’s hand and turned to leave. I reached out, my fingers catching the hem of his coat in a silent, desperate plea. “Terry…” My grip loosened. Terry instinctively took a step back, distancing himself from me. But a sudden, inexplicable anxiety flared in his chest. He paused, pushing down the uneasy feeling. “Leave her. Let’s go.” At the door, he stopped and threw a cold look back. “Remember what I said. Clean yourself up. Don’t embarrass me tomorrow.” The friends chuckled and followed him out. “Alright, let’s get back to the bachelor party. No sleep tonight!” The door clicked shut. The room was plunged back into silence. Only the ticking of the clock remained, counting down my final hours. As the moon climbed higher, memories of his proposal flashed through my mind. He had knelt on the beach, his hands shaking as he opened the ring box. The fearless Terry had actually been nervous. His eyes had reflected only me and the setting sun. “Neri, I’ve never begged anyone in my life. But I’m begging you to wait for me, okay?” “Please wait for me. I will give you the grandest wedding in the world.” Back then, I truly believed our love would last forever. But I couldn’t wait any longer. Meanwhile, in the VIP lounge, a drink was offered to Terry, but he pushed it away distractedly. The liquor spilled onto the floor. Amara looked hurt. “Terry?” He didn’t answer. A heavy, suffocating weight seemed to press down on his chest, as if something precious was slipping through his fingers. He couldn’t take it anymore. Just before midnight, he raced back to the villa. He found me curled up by the window, motionless. He rushed over and pulled me into his arms, but the dry, brittle feel of my body made his heart stop. He finally realized this wasn’t makeup. “Neri? Neri?!” Through my hazy vision, I saw his frantic, terrified face. “What’s happening to you?” He was shouting, his lips moving, but my ears were filled with the roar of the ocean. I couldn’t hear him. The clock struck midnight. The bright moonlight poured through the window. Under his horrified gaze, I could no longer maintain my human form. My legs transformed into a long, shimmering fish tail, glowing with a brilliant silver light before fading rapidly. My scales fell away one by one, leaving my skin dry as bone. Terry stared, his mind unable to process the sight. In his pocket, the phone was vibrating with Amara’s ringtone, but he didn’t move. I looked up at him and smiled softly. “Terry, can you hear it?” I whispered, my voice barely a rustle of dry leaves. I pressed my withered, bark-like fingers against his chest. “My blood is flowing inside you. And it’s telling you…” “I am dying.” Terry’s pupils contracted in sheer horror.

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The morning I got my university acceptance letter, I woke up early and made Mom some toast and coffee. She seemed surprised, then smiled, wrinkles crinkling at the corners of her eyes. “Your acceptance letter arrived, didn’t it? It’s much more stable to stay close to home. I heard it’s a big, wild world out there, easy for someone young like you to get led astray. Besides, wouldn’t it be better to stay close? You could still have my home-cooked meals every night.” “Oh, and I already canceled your plane tickets. It’s too dangerous for a bunch of young guys your age to travel alone. If you really want to go, Mom will take some time off and go with you later.” “What’s with that expression? Everything Mom does is for your own good.” She hadn’t even finished speaking, taking a few bites, when she suddenly frowned. “This coffee… it tastes a little off?” I looked at her, and for the first time in months, I truly smiled. “Yeah, I added some of that rat poison you bought yesterday.” Maybe it was my expression, but Mom froze, her gaze immediately shifting to the rat poison on the shoe cabinet, which had been opened at some point. She’d just bought it and hadn’t gotten around to opening it yet. “Just because Mom changed your major, you’re going to kill Mom?” I looked at the disbelief on her face, barely suppressing the chilling sense of impending release, and picked up the glass of milk next to me, taking a sip. The bitter taste of the rat poison shot through my throat, making me gag and want to throw up. Just like every day since I received that community college acceptance letter. “I’m kidding.” Mom paused, then breathed a sigh of relief, and continued her lecture. “Mom knows you wanted to study medicine, but everyone says being a medical student is incredibly tough, a real grind. It’s not like being a teacher, which is much more chill and you get long breaks. Plus, you have a good grasp of the humanities, you should become an English teacher.” “Worst case, you can just marry a doctor, right? That way you won’t have to study so hard, and you can spend more time at home with Mom. By the time you’re thirty, you’ll definitely thank Mom for changing your major.” My hands, hanging by my sides, clenched tightly and trembled slightly, but Mom didn’t notice a thing. Actually, the poison was in my cup. I drank the last mouthful. “Mom, remember, you killed me with your own hands.” … Everyone said my mom loved me very much. When I was five, she divorced my dad, citing incompatible values, without hesitation. Mom didn’t take a dime in child support. She worked nine-hour shifts during the day and then set up a stall at the night market in the evenings. While she stir-fried noodles for customers, she’d supervise my homework. Whenever customers saw this, they’d feel for her, praising her as the most responsible mother in the world. She worked tirelessly, raising me all by herself. In first grade, my essay, “My Mom,” won the city’s gold prize. The principal, a friend of my mother’s, presented the award to me. After handing me the certificate, she patted my shoulder meaningfully. “You’re a boy, you need to learn to be good to your mom. She’s had such a hard life, and you’re all she has.” I nodded hard and said loudly. “I’ll definitely be good to Mom!” Mom stood below the stage, tears streaming down her face, applauding for me. For my eighteenth birthday party, Mom spent half a month taking a class and personally made my favorite chocolate mousse cake. She smiled and asked what I wished for. From her expectant gaze, I could tell she hoped my wish involved her, something like a dutiful child wishing for her health or safety. But I didn’t say anything, blowing out the candles in one breath. My wish actually *was* about my mom. Except it was to hope my mom would die soon. Or that I would.

I never liked milk since I was little. Because I’m lactose intolerant, every time I drank milk, I’d throw up and have diarrhea. The doctor said you don’t necessarily need milk to get calcium. But Mom believed milk was the most natural and purest high-calcium food, and that kids absolutely had to drink it. She didn’t have much money to buy branded milk from the supermarket, so she worked for a dairy delivery service in our apartment complex, waking up at four every morning to deliver milk to nearly two hundred households. By the time she finished at seven in the morning, she’d bring a few leftover bottles from the station for me to drink. Every time I saw Mom’s face, drenched in sweat after working for half the day, I’d feel a pang of pity. “Mom, our teacher said mustard greens and spinach also have calcium. I’ll just eat more at school. Can you please stop delivering milk?” Mom smiled and waved her hand. “Mom’s not tired. Hurry up and drink it, then Mom will take you to school.” Under Mom’s expectant gaze, I could only endure the discomfort and drink an entire bottle of milk. The way to school included a muddy, bumpy dirt path. I sat on the back of Mom’s scooter, my stomach acid surging up my throat several times, which I forcefully swallowed back down. But as soon as we reached the school gate, while greeting the teacher on duty, I couldn’t hold it in anymore and threw up in front of everyone. There were a few classmates and their parents around. Feeling embarrassed and mortified, I burst into tears. “Mom, I don’t want to drink milk anymore! Every time I drink it, I want to throw up!” Mom’s eyes instantly reddened, and she declared loudly. “You’re the shortest boy in your class! I wake up early and go to bed late, only sleeping four hours a night. Isn’t it all to save money to help you grow? Otherwise, why would I work so hard delivering milk?” “If it weren’t for you, Mom wouldn’t have gotten divorced. I wouldn’t be working this hard!” She cried to everyone around her, recounting the difficulties of raising a child alone after her divorce. Because Mom came to school every day to bring me lunch and pick me up, many parents and teachers knew her. Everyone’s gaze towards me changed subtly. Finally, Mom swayed, looking like she might faint at any moment. The teacher immediately rushed over to support her. The teacher frowned at me. “Alex, your mom loves you, that’s why she sacrifices so much for you and wants you to grow up strong. You need to understand how hard it is for her. If you act like this with your mom, I’ll have to give you a serious warning. Now, come apologize to your mom.” I was somewhat dazed, not understanding why feeling sick from drinking milk meant I wasn’t being understanding towards Mom. But out of respect for the teacher and guilt towards my mom, I still timidly apologized. Mom wiped away the moisture from the corners of her eyes while stroking my head. I heard my classmates whispering nearby. “Alex made his mom get divorced! So mean. I definitely don’t want my parents to divorce.” “I love drinking milk! My mom won’t even buy it for me. I wish Alex’s mom was my mom.” “My mom said if you don’t listen to your parents, you’re an ungrateful brat.” “Alex is an ungrateful brat!” In elementary school, the concepts of bullying and emotional blackmail weren’t yet defined. I only knew that from that day on, classmates seemed to slowly stop playing with me. They’d whisper behind my back that I was an ungrateful brat, heartless, and even said I had bad breath. Actually, that was the smell of stomach acid coming up, and fermented milk. The teachers also always looked at me meaningfully when teaching lessons about family. “Only your mother in this world would never harm you.” “Mothers are the greatest people in the world. Children, you must always listen to your mothers, only bad children don’t listen to their mothers.” “Mothers are the greatest people in the world.” I held that thought in my heart and wrote it into my essay. Later, the essay won an award, and I once again became the “good child” the teachers talked about. The teacher specifically printed out my essay and posted it on the classroom wall, for classmates to study and learn from. The teacher asked me, “Alex, tell us, what kind of person is your mother to you?” I thought for a moment. “Mom is… the hardest working person in the world, and the person who loves me most in the world.” I gave the rote answer, and the teacher was very satisfied. She nodded, smiling as she looked behind me. I abruptly turned to look out the window. My mom, in her work uniform, was peering in through the window.

Ever since I started elementary school, Mom quit her decent editing job at the newspaper and became a cashier at a supermarket near the school. Editing required long hours, from eight to six, and was very demanding, making it hard to focus on anything else. As a cashier, she only had to work six-hour shifts, giving her more time to be around the school and “supervise” my studies. I wrote that essay for three whole days. When I first wrote it, Mom wasn’t happy. So she sat beside me, watching me rewrite it. Perhaps due to her background as an editor, the grammatical errors and inappropriate similes in my essay infuriated Mom. She snatched the pen from my hand, correcting it while scolding me in my ear. “Why are you so stupid, don’t you have a brain? Can’t you just make things easier for Mom and give her less to worry about?!” If I accidentally made a mistake, she would immediately hit the back of my hand hard. She never used any tools to hit me. Mom said it was her way of sharing the pain with me, so I would remember and correct my mistakes. If I made too many mistakes, Mom would suddenly hit her own face, slapping herself. “Don’t you feel bad for Mom? Otherwise, why aren’t you studying properly?!” “I do, I feel bad for Mom, Mom, please stop hitting yourself!” As soon as I cried, Mom would rush into the kitchen, grab a kitchen knife, hold it to her wrist, and yell at me. “Mom is trying so hard to teach you, even hitting herself like this, why do you still make mistakes? Are you not even trying to study? Are you trying to kill Mom?!” In the end, Mom practically wrote two-thirds of the essay herself. No one noticed how mature the vocabulary and sentence structure were, far beyond what a first grader could write. I wasn’t good at writing at all. The one who was good at writing was Mom, the former editor. To me. Mom was the woman holding a knife. … As the years passed, people gradually forgot about the milk incident. But because Mom was always at school, whenever I got close to a classmate and she saw it, she would immediately interrogate them about their family background and grades, insisting on chatting with us. During these chats, Mom couldn’t talk about anything but me. “Hey, don’t pat Alex’s shoulder, he has homework tonight. What if you hurt him?” “Did you just sneeze? Are you catching a cold? Don’t sneeze towards Alex, that’s intentionally trying to infect him. If Alex gets sick, I’ll have to talk to your parents tomorrow!” Seeing a classmate from a less privileged family with some dirt under their fingernails, Mom frowned and said in front of them. “Alex, be careful who you make friends with. Some people just carry that ‘poor’ vibe, and you need to keep your distance. Those people won’t amount to anything later, you’re different from them.” At ten years old, kids already have self-respect. The classmate’s face turned bright red, and they quietly tucked their hands into their sleeves. Then, they grabbed their backpack, hastily said, “Ma’am, I have to go,” and ran off without looking back. Throughout elementary school, I didn’t have many friends, but Mom was very happy, because then no one would lead her precious son astray. Whenever I watched classmates walking arm-in-arm with envy, Mom would pull me forward. She pursed her lips. “What kind of friendship do kids have? Once you move up a grade, you’ll never see them again. Your main goal right now is to study, not make friends.” “Besides, you can tell Mom anything, Mom is your best friend.” I looked at Mom, saying nothing, and wrote all my teenage worries in my diary, painstakingly getting through six years of elementary school. In junior high, during the second semester of eighth grade, a transfer student joined our class. Because our school had a special fast-track admission program for prestigious high schools before the state-wide middle school exams each year, good students could get into the gifted class. So, during this critical period before the exams, transfer students from other areas would often come, hoping for a better opportunity. The transfer student had excellent grades. When the teacher assigned seats based on grades, she specifically told her to sit next to me. “Hi there, I’m Sarah.” The girl smiled and pulled out the chair next to me. “Where did you go this summer? My parents and I went to Macau, their Portuguese tarts were especially delicious. Here, try one!” Sarah was friendly with everyone. She took out a box of tarts from her backpack and shared them with the classmates around her. I quietly read my book, and she didn’t disturb me, instead quietly placing the last tart on the corner of my desk. Even so, Mom, who was peering in to check on us, noticed it. There was no teacher in the classroom, so she rushed over to us and loudly told Sarah: “Hey, kid! My Alex has a sensitive stomach and can’t eat unsanitary food from outside. Don’t make him get diarrhea!” I hunched my head even lower. But to my surprise, Sarah showed no embarrassment or fear. Instead, she smiled at my mom and said. “Don’t worry, Ma’am, I washed my hands, they’re not dirty. Plus, these are from an old, famous shop in Macau! My mom and I waited in line for a long time to get them.” Mom froze, as if she hadn’t expected a child to respond to her harshness so gracefully. She was silent for a few seconds, then her voice grew shriller. “Your parents work hard to earn money and take you out to see the world, and all you know is to show off to your classmates. You don’t think about how to study hard to repay your parents’ kindness, you don’t understand their good intentions, you don’t appreciate how hard they work for money!” “I will absolutely not let my son sit next to a child like you. You’ll lead my son astray!”

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Five years ago, my family suddenly went bankrupt. My sister got cancer, and the entire family relied on me to survive. But when I returned to the villa we used to live in, I found the lights blazing inside. My parents and my sister, who was supposed to be gravely ill, were enjoying a lavish dinner in the living room, their mouths greasy with food. They were watching a video of me working three jobs a day, pointing and commenting. “No, she’s still not ruthless enough. She can’t even compare to us when we started from scratch.” My mother, Eleanor, said, eating premium Kobe steak. “She needs to suffer a bit more before she’s worthy of being our heir.” My sister, Chloe, casually tossed the birthday teddy bear I bought her into the trash. “Olivia still isn’t working hard enough.” I was utterly heartbroken. It turned out the bankruptcy was fake, the illness was fake, everything was a lie concocted by them to pressure and “educate” me. So, I partnered with my arch-rival and had all of my family’s assets seized. You said I wasn’t working hard enough, not ruthless enough? Well, now that I am ruthless, why are you crying and begging me?

It was four in the morning, and Northwood City’s sanitation trucks hadn’t arrived yet. As usual, I carried a woven bag bigger than myself and skillfully slipped into the greenbelt outside The Summit Estates. This was Northwood City’s wealthiest neighborhood. I felt a pang of guilt because my parents had repeatedly warned me not to come near here. “The debt collectors are waiting around there for us; whatever you do, don’t go near it.” But I often came secretly. After all, my face was so rough now that I barely recognized myself. And the rich people here were too lazy to even break down cardboard boxes they’d only used once. For a scavenger like me, it was more cost-effective. “Olivia, we’re still short five hundred for this week’s medicine. You need to find a way.” Last night, before I left, my mom grabbed my hand, her eyes swollen like golf balls from crying. My dad, Robert, lay sprawled on the bed in our leaky basement, clutching his chest, looking like he could kick the bucket at any moment. To save those five hundred bucks, I hadn’t eaten dinner for three days straight. My stomach was churning with hunger. I sped up my rummaging. Suddenly, a flash of pink appeared, and my hand froze. On top of a pile of freshly dumped kitchen waste, a pink teddy bear lay face down. Its belly was torn open, revealing the stuffing, and one eye was missing. It looked utterly pathetic. Just last night. I had scraped every penny together from my living expenses, then spent two agonizing hours at the toy store entrance haggling with the owner, almost begging him, just to buy this defective bear for fifty dollars. It was my adopted sister Chloe’s eighteenth birthday gift. Because I couldn’t afford wrapping paper, I had clumsily embroidered a few words on the bear’s paw: “Chloe, Happy Birthday.” Now, that line of text was stained with coffee. I frantically dug it out. My hands began to tremble violently. Just yesterday, when I presented this bear, my dad slapped me across the face and cursed, “Our family can’t even put food on the table, and you’re buying this garbage! Vain! A spendthrift!” My mom, Eleanor, cradled “sick” Chloe and said with a pained expression, “Olivia, you’ve disappointed us so much. Your sister can’t even afford her medicine, and you’re wasting money.” I knelt on the ground, admitting my mistake, swearing I would gather the medicine money by tomorrow. But still, this was a gift I had painstakingly saved up for my sister. *Vroom—* A black Maybach slowly drove out of the villa district, breaking my thoughts. The car windows were tinted, but I recognized the license plate—it read ‘ELITE8’. Wasn’t this the car of the mysterious billionaire who supposedly bought our foreclosed house? The driver had a crew cut, and that profile… it was clearly Mike, our old family driver! Dad had said that Mike had gone back to his hometown after we went bankrupt, hadn’t he? Driven by an inexplicable urge, I dropped my woven bag. And followed the car. I watched, mesmerized, as the car drove towards the villa we used to live in. The villa was brightly lit; it looked nothing like a seized property. I crouched behind the bushes and, through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, witnessed a scene I would never forget. My dad, Robert, who was supposedly paralyzed and unable to walk in the basement, was now energetically cutting a cigar, full of vigor. My mom, Eleanor, was wearing a face mask, directing the staff to carry boxes of luxury goods upstairs. And Chloe, who supposedly had a terminal illness, held an Hermès bag, pouting in distaste: “This color is so old-fashioned, Mom. Your taste is terrible.” Mom wasn’t angry; instead, she chuckled and coaxed her: “Alright, alright, we’ll go change it tomorrow, as long as our Chloe is happy.” “Oh, right,” Chloe suddenly remembered, “I accidentally lost the teddy bear Olivia gave me.” Dad blew out a smoke ring and sneered: “Good riddance. Just seeing that thing irritates me.” “Only suffered for half a year, and already can’t control her spending? Wasting money buying things? No sense of saving at all.” *Boom—* My world completely shattered at that moment. No bankruptcy. No terminal illness. No debt. For the past six months, I had been working day and night, washing dishes, doing manual labor, collecting trash, selling my blood. I lived in a moldy basement, eating their stale leftovers. I thought I was saving this family. Turns out, I was just a monkey for their after-dinner amusement.

What could I do if I rushed in now? Demand answers? Cry and lament? I bit my lip hard until I tasted blood. I quietly crept around to the back of the villa, where the staff quarters were. A window there was always left open; it was my secret passage for sneaking out to play when I was a child. I climbed in and hid in the secret compartment of the wardrobe in the second-floor study. The view here was the best, and I could hear everything happening in the living room. In the living room, a huge projector screen descended. “Alright, alright, today’s episode of our ‘Tough Love’ reality show is starting.” Dad excitedly rubbed his hands, beckoning Mom and Chloe. The screen lit up. The scene showed a day of heavy rain. I was riding that rickety old scooter I’d salvaged from a dump, delivering takeout. The rain was too heavy, and the road collapsed. I, along with my scooter, tumbled into a mud pit. The takeout food spilled everywhere. I ignored the bleeding cut on my leg, knelt in the muddy water, picking up each container, crying as I wiped them clean. Because if that order got a complaint, I would have to pay twenty dollars. Twenty dollars, enough to feed our family ramen for three days. “Oh my gosh, Olivia is so clumsy.” Chloe’s gasp echoed from the living room. She pointed at the disheveled, mud-covered figure on the screen, frowning. “Dad, I don’t think Olivia is suited for hardship?” “Crying like that for twenty bucks, she has no foresight.” Dad, however, looked serious. “Chloe, don’t talk nonsense if you don’t understand.” He pointed at me on the screen, using his cigar. “That look in her eyes is exactly right.” “People can only unleash their potential when they’re pushed to the brink.” “She used to spend ten dollars on books without batting an eye; now she’s kneeling for twenty dollars.” “What does this show? It shows her vanity has been crushed; she’s starting to understand the value of money.” “That’s exactly the effect we’re looking for.” Mom, Eleanor, walked over, holding a goblet of expensive champagne, taking an elegant sip. “We started from scratch, we know that building an empire is easy, but holding onto it is the real challenge.” “Olivia was too pampered before, too soft-hearted. If we don’t let her experience the hardships we went through, how will she take over the business in the future?” “Look how capable she’s been these past six months? Working three jobs a day, and she doesn’t complain about being tired.” “She’s a true heir of the Blackwood legacy.” Mom said, not noticing the resentment in Chloe’s eyes. The screen shifted, cutting to a different scene. It was me, standing outside a 24-hour convenience store, staring at the pastries inside, hesitating for nearly ten minutes. Finally, I turned and left, thinking two dollars each was too expensive. In the scene, I was forlornly nibbling on half a dry piece of bread I’d found. I rubbed my stomach, which was cramping from hunger, and reached for the beef they’d left on the table. As I ate, tears streamed down my face. Then, the scene shifted again. It was me washing dishes at a greasy diner. My old rival, with a group of rich kids, came to humiliate me. She splashed boiling hot oil from the fryer on my hand and threw two hundred dollars on the floor, telling me to pick it up. On the screen, I endured the searing pain, bent down, and picked up the two hundred dollars. Because back then, Dad was pretending to be sick in bed, saying his heart was hurting him to death. Seeing this, Dad nodded in satisfaction. “Excellent! She knows when to bend and when to stand tall!” “This is what it means to truly swallow your pride!” “She wasn’t picking up money; she was picking up her lost dignity. A qualified heir must learn to shed her pride.” Chloe pouted, a hint of jealousy in her voice: “Dad, how much longer are you going to test her?” “What if she finds out the truth and hates us?” “Hate?” Dad sneered. “She’s my blood, I’m her father.” “I’m doing this for her own good. This is the highest form of elite education.” “When she stands at the pinnacle of wealth in the future, she’ll kneel down and thank me.” My fingernails dug deeply into my flesh. So that’s how it was. My past six months of hellish living, in their eyes, was a meticulously planned reality show. They watched me bleed, watched me kneel, watched me beg for food like a dog. Not only did they feel no pity, but they were here, toasting and celebrating it.

I didn’t tip my hand. I returned to that moldy basement as if nothing had happened. For the next two days, I woke up early as usual, still rummaged through trash bins, but my eyes were no longer vacant. I began to discreetly observe this “poor” home. Before, I was too foolish, too desperate to save them, and I had overlooked so many obvious flaws. For example, Mom. Although she wore old clothes bought from a bargain store, her face had smooth, radiant skin. If you got close, you could still smell the subtle scent of a high-end moisturizer. How could a poor person have such a glowing complexion? Poor people, like me, have sallow complexions and chapped hands. Then there was Chloe. She was lying on the small bed, playing on her phone. Seeing me enter, she immediately hid the phone behind her back and weakly coughed twice: “Olivia… you’re back.” As she reached for a glass of water, I grabbed her wrist. It was a hand that had recently been meticulously cared for, nails perfectly rounded, even coated with clear nail polish, glowing with a soft pink sheen. “Chloe, your nails look great, like they’ve been treated at a top salon,” I said, a faint smile playing on my lips. Chloe’s face stiffened, and she recoiled her hand as if shocked: “This is… I just messed around with it myself.” I glanced at the pile of dirty clothes in the corner, which Mom had deliberately left for me to wash. I suddenly spoke, “Chloe, the bear I bought you…” “The bear… I’m sorry, Olivia, I accidentally lost it…” “But you’ll forgive me, right? After all, a bear like that, you can earn back by cleaning toilets for three days.” “But I…” “Enough!” Mom shoved me, shielding Chloe behind her, her eyes wide with fury: “Your sister isn’t well, and you’re still upsetting her! It’s just a silly bear, it’s lost, so what?” I staggered from the shove, my heart chilling to the core. But I wasn’t ready to give up completely. I wanted to give them, and myself, one last chance. That evening, Dad’s “condition” worsened. He coughed convulsively, as if his chest was tearing apart. He grabbed me, rehashing the usual drama: “Olivia… the doctor said the surgery would cost half a million… Dad doesn’t want to die…” Mom, beside him, dabbed her eyes, and then, her true intentions became clear: “Olivia, that crippled Mr. Wallace said that if you marry him, the dowry will be exactly half a million…” I took a deep breath, knelt by the bed, and stared intently into their eyes. “Dad, Mom. If I don’t marry Mr. Wallace, if our family really has to live in a basement and pick up trash for the rest of our lives, will you… still love me?” “Can’t we stop begging others? Just be together as a family, even if it’s a little hard, it’s okay?” The warmth in Dad’s eyes vanished, replaced by impatience. “Shut up! What’s ‘a little hardship is okay’? Without money, you’re worse than dirt! If you don’t want to save me, just say so. I raised you this long, and you won’t even make this small sacrifice? You ungrateful wretch!” Mom’s face also turned cold: “Olivia, don’t be so selfish. That’s your dad’s life! What’s wrong with you enduring a little hardship?” At that moment, I heard the sound of something in my heart completely shattering. They had money, yet they still wanted me to sell myself. They weren’t bankrupt, yet they pushed me to the brink. “Alright,” I lowered my head, hiding the tears and hatred welling up in my eyes. “I’ll raise the money. Even if I have to sell myself, I’ll get the money.” Dad lay back, satisfied, believing I had finally submitted. Late at night, when their snores were like thunder, I pulled out my burner phone from under the bed. The light from the screen illuminated my pale face. My fingers trembling, I transferred all the encrypted files to my cloud storage. After doing all that, I looked at my sleeping parents and softly said in my heart: Goodbye, Dad, Mom. This was the last lesson you taught me—push someone to the brink, and they will fight to survive.

When I walked out of the basement, the sky was just getting light. Chloe was standing at the top of the stairs, I don’t know when she got there. She held a cup of hot milk, not a hint of sickness on her face. She looked down at me from above, a malicious smile playing on her lips. “Olivia, are you going to marry that cripple?” “Actually, Mom and Dad are doing this for your own good. After all, you know, only those who truly enjoy the finer things can rise above. Anyway, even if we weren’t bankrupt now, Dad and Mom’s heir could only ever be me.” She took a step closer, leaning in to whisper in my ear. “So go on, be your crippled bride. I’ll enjoy the Blackwood family’s wealth and prestige for you.” She finished, covering her mouth with a triumphant giggle. I looked at her delicate face and nodded. “Chloe, you’re right.” “Some people are born to roll in the mud.” Only, that person might not be me. I didn’t look back, rushing straight into the curtain of rain. The cold raindrops stung my face, mixing with my tears. I didn’t hate the rain; the colder it was, the fiercer the fire in my heart burned. An hour later, I stood beneath the Titan Holdings building. This was Northwood City’s tallest building, and the only place that could truly overlook the Blackwood Group. Ethan Blackwood, Northwood City’s notorious business madman, was also my dad’s most feared arch-rival. I barged unimpeded into the top-floor office. Before the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, a man stood with his back to me. “Get out.” His voice was cold and sharp. I didn’t retreat. Instead, I walked forward step by step and firmly slapped the USB drive, still damp from the rain, onto his expensive office desk. “Mr. Blackwood, I have a business proposition I’d like to discuss with you.” Ethan Blackwood turned around. He looked at me, soaking wet, covered in mud, yet with eyes that burned with an alarming intensity, and his eyebrow slightly raised. “The eldest Miss Blackwood? What, here to plead for your father?” “No.” I lifted my head, meeting his eagle-sharp eyes, and a crooked smile played on my lips. “I’m here to take him down.” Ethan Blackwood picked up the USB drive, intrigued. “What’s in this?” “The very core of Blackwood Group’s operations.” My voice was hoarse, but every word was clear and strong. “Ledgers proving tax evasion, offshore money laundering schemes, and all the evidence of cut corners on the Bayview Towers project.” “Mr. Blackwood, my dad always said that a person needs to be wolf-like, to show no mercy, even to family.” “These past six months, he taught me a lot. Now, I’m here to show you what I’ve learned.” Ethan Blackwood scrutinized me for a long moment, then suddenly chuckled. “If you give this to me, the Blackwood family is finished. You’ll lose everything, and even bear the infamy.” “What do you want?” Thunder rumbled outside the window. I didn’t need money, nor did I need status. I stared at Ethan Blackwood, saying each word distinctly: “I want them utterly ruined.”

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It was Christmas Eve, and I was temporarily called in to cover for a colleague at the blood draw station. Suddenly, a little girl cut into the line, her accompanying middle-aged father, masked, quietly urged, “Excuse us, my daughter’s in a hurry.” Seeing no one behind objected, I proceeded to verify their information. “Is this the bone marrow matching sample for Zoe Davies?” The girl obediently extended her arm, but the man suddenly reached out, blocking the needle. “Wait, we’re not doing it today.” I cursed him in my head, but when I looked up, they were already walking away, leaving the consent form on the counter. The guardian’s signature, “David Miller,” stared back at me. That was my dad’s name, and I recognized his handwriting. I pulled out my phone, my fingers stiff with cold. “Dad, are you working at the office today?” A hospital-specific PA announcement echoed from the other end of the line. He paused for three seconds. “…Yes, I’m at the office.” I remained silent. After hanging up, I accessed the hospital system backend and typed in Zoe Davies’ name. “Patient: Zoe Davies. Matching recipient: David Miller. Relationship: Father-Daughter.”

“Nurse? Are you going to continue?” An old man in line behind me impatiently poked his head forward. I snapped back to reality, realizing my knuckles, pressed against the counter, were white. “Apologies, just a moment.” I forced myself to finish the remaining work, my mind replaying Dad’s words. As soon as my shift ended, I rushed into the locker room, locked the door, and only then dared to take out the paper again. “Patient: Zoe Davies, Age: 6, Diagnosis: Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia.” “Matching Recipient: David Miller. Relationship: Father-Daughter.” “Father-Daughter.” Those two words seared my eyes. I pulled out my phone and opened the hospital’s internal system, typing in “Zoe Davies’” name. A more detailed medical record page popped up. The earliest visit was nine months ago. The most recent was three days prior, an outpatient visit where a new round of chemotherapy drugs was prescribed. The contact phone number field listed an unfamiliar mobile number. The address was: Willow Creek Residences, Building 1, Apartment 602. This wasn’t our family’s address, nor was it Dad’s company apartment. I stared at the address, racking my brain. Nine months ago was precisely when Dad started his frequent “overtime” and “business trips.” Mom even felt sorry for him, saying the company had many projects that year, and I should bother him less. I opened my navigation app and typed in the address. 8.5 kilometers from the hospital, a mid-range apartment complex called Willow Creek Residences. I don’t know how I walked out of the hospital building, but I hailed a taxi. “Driver, to Willow Street, Willow Creek Residences.” On the way, I clutched the consent form in my pocket, my hands clasped in silent prayer that my worst fears wouldn’t come true. I arrived at the complex, pulled up my mask, and hid behind a large maple tree to the side. Just as I was about to freeze, starting to wonder if I had the wrong place or if this was all a ridiculous misunderstanding, a figure too familiar for comfort appeared in the complex. It was Dad. He went upstairs and appeared in a window on an upper floor. He bent down, his silhouette clear. He was stroking the little girl’s head. So gently, so tenderly. When I was little and had a fever, he would touch my forehead like that. But in recent years, such touches grew rare. He was always busy, and his head rubs became perfunctory, quick pats, his attention always seemingly elsewhere. It turned out his tenderness and time hadn’t disappeared. They were just given to someone else. I held back tears, raised my phone, my hand trembling slightly, but I still managed to capture that window, those three figures huddled together. I don’t know how long I stood under that tree. The window lights went out eventually, but my father never came out. It seemed Dad wouldn’t be coming home tonight. Thinking of Mom still waiting at home for Christmas Eve dinner. I dragged my numb legs out of the complex. On the way home, I tried to compose myself, attempting to make my expression look normal. “Alice, you’re back?” My mom, wearing an apron, peered out from the kitchen, a smile on her face. “Perfect, I just finished preparing dinner. Your dad just SnapChatted that something came up at the office and he’ll be late again this year, told us to eat first.” I opened my mouth, wanting to tell her the truth. But my throat felt completely constricted. I squeezed my eyes shut, swallowing the truth that was about to burst out. “I’m going to wash my hands.” Turning towards the bathroom, my tears finally broke free. I turned on the faucet, letting the sound of the running water mask my sobs. At the dinner table, I tentatively asked Mom, “Is Dad really that busy with work? Not even a break for the holidays.” “I understand. Work is important.” I lowered my head, chewing the pasta in my mouth forcefully, but tasted nothing. My stomach felt like it was filled with ice. I couldn’t wait any longer. On the last day of my holiday, I arrived at the hospital early. I casually chatted with the nurses in the hematology ward. “Busy lately, huh? Can’t even get peace during the holidays.” “Tell me about it, especially those high-risk leukemia kids; treatment can’t stop. There’s a little girl named Zoe, only six, poor thing.” My heart clenched sharply. “Zoe? That’s a unique name.” “It is. She’s also adorable, and her dad is very dedicated. He comes almost every day, stays with her through treatment, coaxes her to take medicine, sometimes he stays all night. Dads like that are rare these days.” “They are…” I murmured, my throat dry.

Coming every day. Staying all night. Running around for her. These words were like fine grains of salt scattered on my heart. I remembered my appendectomy, how I cried out in pain, wanting Dad to hold me. But he was away on a “project inspection,” and it was Mom and Uncle who stayed with me for three days. When I was struggling with insomnia due to stress during my final exams in high school, he would only say, “Don’t overthink it, just do your best,” and then go back to his work in the study. He wasn’t incapable of giving, nor did he lack time. I decided to get one step closer to that other family. I put on casual clothes and a beanie, covering most of my face. In my hand, I carried a stack of prepared survey forms and brochures. She saw me and paused, startled. “You are…?” “Hello, sorry to bother you.” I tried to make my voice sound steady, even a little shy, like a student. “I’m a volunteer from the local Red Cross chapter. Excuse me, is this where Zoe Davies lives?” Hearing Zoe Davies’ name, her guarded look softened slightly. “We’ve received information about some families in need from the City Children’s Hospital’s Hematology Department. We’re very concerned about Zoe Davies’ situation.” She hesitated for a few seconds, then stepped aside. I took a deep breath and walked into another home. My gaze was immediately drawn to a large framed photo hanging on the central wall of the living room. “That’s my husband and daughter.” I dug my nails into my palm, forcing myself to stay clear-headed and maintain my expression. Just as I was about to probe further, the sound of a key turning in the lock suddenly echoed from the front door! David Miller stood at the doorway, carrying an insulated food container. “Grace, I made some fish soup for Zoe to help her get her strength back…” I sprang to my feet, pulling up my mask, and made to leave. “Sorry, something urgent just came up! I’ll leave these materials with you. You can call the number on them if you have any questions!” I pulled down my beanie, stumbled out of the complex, and gasped for air. After some time, my phone vibrated in my pocket. “Alice, your shift must be almost over, right? What do you want for dinner tonight? Your dad just called and said he might be late again tonight, has an unavoidable engagement. Shall we just eat something simple, just the two of us?” “Late again!” My last nerve snapped. “Mom! Dad is seeing someone else!” Mom didn’t say anything, just told me to come home. When I got home, Mom was sitting on the sofa, as calm as if nothing had happened. She pulled out her phone and showed me a SnapChat message. “Your husband has another home at Willow Creek Residences; his daughter is six years old.” “I didn’t want to believe it,” Mom’s voice trembled slightly, as if she were talking about someone else’s life. “Your dad, he has many flaws. He’s lazy, stubborn, sometimes he doesn’t keep his word. But… for twenty years, I thought, at least he had a bottom line. I secretly checked his phone, the lock screen password was still your birthday, the chat history was clean, and the bank statements showed nothing unusual. I even wondered if someone sent it by mistake or if it was malicious slander.” My last emotional defense collapsed. I pulled out the consent form from my pocket. Then I took out my phone and showed her the pictures. “Mom! Look closely, Dad is seeing someone else!” I took Mom and hailed a taxi to that hospital room. But from inside, suppressed sobs from a woman and a man’s low growl could be heard. Just as I was about to push the door open, it was suddenly pulled open. Dad, his face ashen, walked out and collided with me. When he saw me, his pupils constricted, and a flash of panic crossed his face, quickly replaced by feigned anger. “What are you doing here?” “That’s what I should be asking you, Dad. Didn’t you say you had an important meeting at the office today?” The murmuring patients, family members, and medical staff around us all turned their gazes our way. Dad’s face flushed crimson, then turned ashen again. He grabbed my arm, his grip surprisingly strong, almost dragging me into the nearby fire escape stairwell. “Alice Miller! What are you trying to do?!” he snarled, a vein throbbing in his temple. I pulled out my phone, opened my gallery, and swiped through the intimate photos of him and Grace Davies, one by one.

His shoulders slumped, and his voice softened, pleading: “Alice, Alice, listen to me… Dad was just confused for a moment… I was really just confused! I’m sorry to your mom, I’m sorry to you… But things are already like this, Zoe is so young, and she’s so sick… She needs her dad, she needs money for treatment… Your mom isn’t well, and she’s strong-willed, she definitely wouldn’t be able to handle it if she found out! Alice, please keep it a secret for Dad, okay? Dad promises, I’ll make it up to you two properly in the future, just don’t tell your mom, I’m begging you…” I stopped looking at him, turned, and pulled open the stairwell door. Outside, Mom was standing there, I don’t know how long she’d been there. Dad’s legs buckled, and he sank to his knees. “Sarah, Sarah, let me explain…” Mom didn’t look at Dad; she just took my hand. “Alice, let’s go home.” “Mom…” I began cautiously in the car. “Alice,” she cut me off, her voice soft but exceptionally clear. “When your dad knelt down, I wondered what kind of person I had truly known for these past twenty years.” “Then I thought about that child, Zoe, only six years old, diagnosed with leukemia.” My heart sank. “Mom, what do you mean?” “The child is innocent.” Mom’s words were like a needle, piercing my most sensitive nerve. “What about me?! Am I not innocent? For these twenty years, isn’t *our* family innocent? Mom, Dad lied to us! He has two families! That child… that child is his evidence!” “I know. I know all of it. But Alice, that child is dying.” “So what?” “So we’re supposed to be saints, give our money and resources to save his and the other woman’s child? Mom, wake up! When he begged me to keep it a secret from you, he only thought of himself and that child! He never considered how much you’d suffer if you found out!” “If he had considered me, none of this would have happened in the first place.” Mom looked up, a terrifying resolve in her eyes that I’d never seen before. “Alice, I will work with your dad to save that child. As for your dad and me,” she paused, “we’ll talk about it once that child’s condition is stable.” I stared at Mom in disbelief, as if seeing her for the first time. “You’re crazy!” I grabbed my bag and signaled the driver to stop. “If you want to be a saint, go ahead! I don’t want to see either of them again!” I sat down on a stone bench, quietly sobbing. I even wondered if I was wrong? I pulled out my phone and called my boyfriend, Ethan Hayes. “Ethan,” I choked out, almost incoherent. “My dad… my mom… they’ve all gone crazy… Are you home? Can I come over?” “I’m home. Take your time, don’t rush, I’ll wait for you.” Half an hour later, I knocked on Ethan’s apartment door. I poured out everything that had happened that day, from the confrontation at the hospital to my mother’s shocking decision. Ethan listened quietly, his brow gradually furrowing. “So, your mom’s saying, save the person first, then deal with right and wrong.” “That’s not even about right and wrong!” I sprang up from the sofa, agitated. “Ethan, why are you saying that too? That’s his mistress’s child!” Ethan was silent for a moment. He then took out a file folder. “Alice, there’s something your mom didn’t want me to tell you. For the past eight months, your mother has been secretly commissioning me to investigate your father.” Ethan’s voice was low. “She started to suspect something was wrong about nine months ago, but she had no evidence. She asked me to investigate your father’s itinerary, spending records, communication links…” I felt as if I’d been struck by lightning, frozen on the spot. Nine months ago… that was precisely when Dad started his frequent “overtime,” and also Zoe’s earliest medical visit. “Why… why did you keep it from me?” My voice trembled. “She said you were still young, and with your job at the hospital, you were already under a lot of stress. She didn’t want you to be distracted.” “She said today she’d use ‘her half’ of the money to save Zoe,” I looked at Ethan, and he nodded, confirming my guess.

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“Dad! I’ve paid off David’s penthouse apartment in full, and I even hired a live-in house manager. David won’t have to worry about a thing in his retirement!” My son, Kevin Miller, sounded thrilled. I, however, was stunned, somewhat at a loss. After my divorce, I had worked tirelessly, alone, to raise my son. He graduated college and successfully landed a coveted offer from a top tech company, earning a hefty six-figure salary. But the first thing he did after receiving his first-year bonus was to arrange a lavish, all-inclusive retirement for my own brother, David Stone. “David was so good to me when I was a kid. Now that I have the means, naturally I want to repay him first!” “He looked out for me then, and now I’ll look out for him!” Watching my brother, David, and my son, Kevin, chummily with their arms around each other, I couldn’t help but laugh. Last month, I’d tried to bring up wanting to catch up on my missing social security payments. What did he say again? “Social security is all a scam! At your age, you should be focused on your career!” “It’s pathetic to think about taking it easy before you’re even old enough. You have no ambition!” Thinking of that, I tossed the already melted pill into the trash. When I spoke again, my voice was devoid of emotion. “Alright, then. Let’s find a time for you to formally separate your residency from mine.” The moment the words left my mouth, the living room fell into a dead silence, which was then shattered by Kevin Miller’s furious roar. “Dad! You’ve really lost it!” “How can you be so petty at your age? Your heart is smaller than a pinhead!” David Stone looked awkward, patting Kevin’s back, his words hesitant. “Mark… I know… I know you think I’m taking advantage of Kevin’s filial devotion. I also feel it’s not right, but Kevin is such a loyal kid…” I remained expressionless, pulling open the front door. “Got it. This is my house. Please leave!” Kevin Miller was so enraged his face flushed crimson. He clenched his fists, about to step forward. Seeing the situation escalating, David quickly pulled and pushed Kevin out the door. “Mark! You’re angry right now. I’ll take Kevin for now. We can talk again in a couple of days when you’ve cooled down!” I watched, wide-eyed, as the uncle and nephew walked away with their arms around each other, feeling a huge chunk of my heart hollowed out. For the next week, Kevin acted as if I didn’t exist, completely silent. It wasn’t until Sunday afternoon that my ex-wife’s call came through. “Mark, I swear, ever since we divorced, you’ve become more and more unreasonable!” “You’re going to hurt your son over something so trivial?” “It’s been a week, and you haven’t even bothered to reach out. Don’t you know you should apologize to your son when you’ve done something wrong?” I held the phone in silence, not uttering a word. “Mark! Are you listening?! Kevin’s been in a terrible mood these past few days, drinking himself miserable! Do you, as his father, even have a heart?!” “I’m warning you, Kevin is my only son!” “You were so adamant about raising him back then. If I’d known you’d act like this, I never would have agreed to let you take him!” Her words cut through me like a knife. She was right! All these years, I’d pulled double duty as both his mom and dad, raising him alone. How much he used to depend on me when he was little. But I don’t know when it started, my sacrifices were simply taken for granted. No matter how much I did, it seemed it could never compare to a few superficial words of warmth from his mom, whom he only saw twice a year. I choked back the lump in my throat, my voice trembling. “Is that so? I haven’t been good enough to him?” “Sarah Johnson, have you given a single penny in child support all these years? His food, his clothes, parent-teacher conferences, every ache and sniffle—which one wasn’t me?” “How dare you accuse me?” The woman on the other end was speechless, unable to utter a word for a long time. I wiped my eyes and simply hung up the phone. Before I could put my phone down, it rang again. It was David Stone. I hung up immediately. The next second, SnapChat notifications started pinging, one after another. [Mark! Aren’t you being too much?! What did Sarah do wrong? What did Kevin do wrong? Can’t you ever look for reasons within yourself?] [The way Kevin is now just proves he’s a good kid who knows how to repay kindness. I truly can’t understand how you could be a father like this!] [No matter what, Kevin is your only son. Do you really want to sever ties with him forever?] [Alright, I know you’re mad at me. I apologize, is that enough?!]

His condescending tone made me laugh bitterly. My temper boiled over, and I typed a reply directly. [What? So you *do* know you shouldn’t have taken it? If he treats you like his real dad, then I’ll step aside. From now on, he’s your son! Isn’t that perfect?] David Stone’s chat box showed “typing…” for a long time. In the end, not a single word was sent. I sat on the sofa, looking at the empty apartment, and couldn’t hold back my tears. How could a person end up like this? After being betrayed by my wife and my own brother, even my only son stabbed me in the back. What else is this but being completely alone and betrayed? … In the darkness, I dreamt of my first half of life. Married for 24 years, I hadn’t lived a single day for myself. At first, I tried desperately to be good to my wife, only for her to get involved with my own brother. Later, I devoted myself to my son, only for him to leave me with nothing. When I opened my eyes again, I looked at the paltry four-figure balance on my phone and the payment reminder from the social security office, finding it utterly absurd. I should have cried for myself. But I didn’t. I opened a local job search app, carefully sifting through suitable positions. From now on, every penny I earned would no longer be for anyone else. Only for myself. They say children are your retirement plan. But now, even my own son couldn’t be relied upon. Who else could I rely on? Only myself! The next morning, I finalized an agreement with a high-end property management company, taking on a live-in house manager position, with food and accommodation included. I started packing my luggage. Kevin Miller had a lot of things, and I sorted them out too. Since I decided to cut ties with this ungrateful wretch, I might as well be thorough. I was still debating whether to call him to pick up his stuff when the door was pushed open with a bang. Kevin Miller stormed in, fuming. “Dad, are you crazy?! I already told you, if I needed cash, I could just do some freelance work. Why would you become a live-in house manager? Isn’t that embarrassing?!” “You packed all your bags and didn’t even tell me?” “If the property management company hadn’t sent the contract confirmation to my email, I would still be in the dark!” I watched him explode, expressionless. While he caught his breath, I pointed to the pile of packages on the floor. “Perfect timing. All of this is your stuff. Take it with you.” His face immediately turned ashen. “What do you mean? Are you really kicking me out? Just because I object to you becoming a house manager?” “Dad, you’re almost fifty, can’t you use your brain?!” “If people find out that my dad, Kevin Miller’s dad, is working as a house manager, how am I supposed to show my face after that?!” I stopped what I was doing, looking at him, feeling a bit estranged. “Is that so? What do your feelings of shame have to do with me?” “You only think about yourself. Have you ever considered my situation?” Kevin Miller’s brows furrowed, “What situation could you possibly be in?” “I’m working myself to the bone out there, and you’re living comfortably at home. What more do you want?” I couldn’t help but sneer. “Kevin Miller! Did I raise you to be too naive?!” “The little money I earned from odd jobs all these years, you completely drained it before the end of each month. Now I only have a few thousand bucks left in my account!” “How many times has the social security office sent payment reminders? Do you understand what that means?!” Kevin Miller looked impatient. “Didn’t I tell you? You have me as a son; that crappy insurance is a waste of money!” “Do you really think I’d abandon you when you’re old?” I pulled at the corner of my mouth, “Oh, I couldn’t possibly trouble you.” “You still have to impress your mom and her lover. What about me?”

“What I said yesterday came from the heart. You’re an adult now, and you’re also your mom’s son. From now on, you don’t need to worry about my affairs.” Kevin Miller trembled with rage, his fists clenching audibly. “Enough! What ‘lover’?! What ‘lover’?!” “Hasn’t David done enough for you? After you divorced my mom, to spare your feelings, David hasn’t even agreed to marry Mom yet!” “Just for that, what’s wrong with me supporting him in his retirement?!” I nodded, not arguing further, simply politely pushing the luggage towards him, then ‘escorting’ him out. The moment the door closed, I immediately contacted a locksmith. See? How could I entrust my golden years to an ungrateful wretch who couldn’t tell right from wrong? On my first day of work at my employer’s house, I received a call from my dad. “Mark, Kevin just called me. What’s going on? Did you really go and become a house manager?” “And don’t be so harsh with the boy. Kevin was really hurt by you this time; his voice sounded hoarse on the phone.” Hearing that, a pang of sadness hit me. “Dad.” “Was I wrong?” “Yes, I admit that right after Sarah and I divorced, David, as his uncle, did help look after Kevin for a few days.” “But David stole my wife! Kevin was a victim too!” “How could he turn around and forget me, the father who raised him from diapers, and go support the man who broke up my family in his retirement?” There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment. “…What?” “Didn’t Kevin tell you? I scrimped and saved to put him through college, helped him find a job.” “Now that he’s received his bonus, the first thing he does is arrange retirement for Sarah and David, and then he turns around and calls me petty!” “Now their ‘happy little family of three’ is doing just fine. What am I supposed to do?” “I only have a few thousand dollars in my account, and social security keeps sending reminders. If I don’t renew it this year, am I really supposed to rely on that ungrateful wretch?” Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably, yet I laughed aloud. “I’m earning money with my own hands to secure my own future. What’s wrong with that? Now, just because he finds it embarrassing, I have to back down?” “Do you think that’s fair?” After a long time, there was a deep sigh from the phone. “Mark, I know the boy didn’t act honorably, but no matter what…” “Kevin is still your only son, after all…” Before he could finish, I interrupted him directly. “Dad!” “I don’t have the same good fortune as you and Mom. I know my own son; I can’t rely on him in the future.” “So, starting today, I have to plan for myself.” Hanging up the phone, I stood in the small room assigned to me at my employer’s house, a jumble of conflicting emotions swirling inside me. Even though everyone said this line of work, “serving people,” wasn’t respectable. But this employer offered a very good salary – twelve thousand a month, with food and accommodation included. It wasn’t until now that I fully understood. The idea that children are your retirement plan. Sometimes, your own flesh and blood can be less reliable than the actual balance in your bank account! My own son, just to save a few grand, declared social security a scam. But the salary my employer provides, if I save it for a year, I can fill that entire retirement fund shortfall! I thought my attitude had made everything clear, and the matter would be over and done with. To my surprise, a month into my job, David Stone showed up at my employer’s house with Kevin Miller. Seeing me, Kevin Miller’s frown was so deep, you could almost see him crushing something between his brows. “Dad! How long are you going to keep this temper tantrum up? That’s enough!” David Stone looked around the staff room, his face still wearing that phony look of apology. “Mark! No matter how angry you are, you can’t embarrass Kevin and Sarah like this!” “Ignoring your own son to come serve strangers, doing this kind of work—what were you thinking?” “Just to spite us?”

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My boyfriend was a warehouse worker. The moment he got home, I forced him to go back out in the rain to buy me a $199 strawberry cake. His voice was tired. “I don’t have enough money. Rent’s due tomorrow. Can I just buy the strawberries for now?” I grabbed a throw pillow and hurled it at him. “Get out! You loser!” After I kicked him out, I sulked on the couch. Suddenly, floating comments popped up on the screen in front of me: [This villainess is scolding a billionaire heir! He was framed and lost his memory, which is why he’s a warehouse worker!] [The real female lead will be here soon, and the male lead is about to regain his memory! Then he’ll know what a liar this villainess is!] [This drama queen is already pregnant. She’ll use her pregnancy to throw tantrums, but she’ll be taken care of right after giving birth, and the child will be abused!] I touched my lower belly, completely stunned. Just then, the door opened. Johnson came back, soaked to the bone, holding a small piece of strawberry cake. He looked at me nervously, carefully saying, “I unloaded another truckload of goods. I bought you the cake. Please don’t kick me out again, okay?”

Johnson stood at the door, rain dripping down his pants, his eyes like a lost puppy. Those words from the comments were still floating in front of me. “Villainess,” “billionaire heir,” “liar,” “pregnant,” “taken care of,” “child abused.” My legs felt a little weak. Normally, I would have snatched the cake, cursed him a few more times for being a “good-for-nothing,” then devoured it all and made him sleep on the couch. But today, I didn’t dare. I took a deep breath, my voice a bit dry. “You… go change your wet clothes first.” Johnson clearly froze. He probably thought I’d keep yelling at him. He nervously held out the strawberry cake. “I didn’t mean not to comfort you earlier. I just wanted to unload more goods, earn enough money to buy you the cake…” The man was drenched, his old clothes clinging to his strong chest and abs. I looked at his hands, which were pale and wrinkled from the rain. A chill went down my spine. For the past year, I had constantly yelled at and berated him, and he had never talked back. “I said, go change your clothes first!” I turned my face away, my voice tight. Johnson lowered his eyes. “Okay, I’ll go right away.” He put down the cake and fumbled for dry clothes. While he was in the bathroom, I stared at the cake on the table, tears almost falling. The comments said I was pregnant, then I’d be clingy and refusing to let go, and finally, the original female lead would get rid of me, and my child would be abused. If I wasn’t pregnant, it would be fine, but what if I really was… [Is this villainess finally scared? Too late!] [Honestly, it’s too late for her to act nice now, the female lead is already on her way.] [Poor male lead, he’s been yelled at for so long.] I bit my lip, forcing the tears back. Johnson came out in dry clothes, saw me staring blankly at the cake, and cautiously said, “Want me to feed you?” I grabbed the cake. “Come on, let’s return it.” “Huh?” He was confused. “It’s too expensive. How many shifts would you have to work for this? Let’s return it.” I pulled him and started walking out. Johnson was dragged along, his face full of disbelief. “You… aren’t you the one who wanted strawberry cake the most?” “Not anymore.” I didn’t dare look at him. After returning the cake, I took the $199 and stuffed it into his pocket. “For rent.” Johnson stood there. The rain had slowed to a drizzle. He just looked at me, his eyes holding an indescribable light, a mix of surprise and heartache. “Simmons, are you… on your period?” he asked tentatively. “No!” I almost cursed again, but bit it back. “Let’s go home.” Our rental apartment only had one bed. That night, I curled up on the very edge, my back to him. Johnson got into bed after his shower. After a long silence, he suddenly said in a low voice, “I’m really tired today… can we not try anything fancy?” My body stiffened. “Try anything fancy” was his euphemism. Normally, if I was in a good mood, I’d make him work hard in bed. He never refused, even if he’d worked his butt off all day and his back was aching. But now, the comments said I was pregnant. I instinctively covered my lower belly, my mind a mess. “Uh… let’s just sleep.” My voice was muffled. It was quiet for a few seconds behind me. Johnson softly said, “Oh,” his tone tinged with disappointment and confusion. [Why is the male lead disappointed? We don’t approve!] [The male lead is only being good to the villainess because he was tricked. Once he regains his memory, he’ll know she lied to him.] [Female lead, Moore, hurry up!] I buried my face in the pillow.

I barely slept a wink all night. Johnson, on the other hand, was asleep, his breathing even, one arm still draped over my waist. Even though I’d rejected him, he still habitually protected me. As soon as dawn broke, he quietly got up. I pretended to be asleep, peeking at him through narrowed eyes. He tiptoed to the kitchen, cooked oatmeal, fried eggs and bacon. Johnson then quickly ate his portion, leaving mine warming in the pot. He walked to the door, then turned back, kissing my forehead very lightly. After the door closed, I waited a few minutes, then immediately got up. Ignoring breakfast, I put on a mask and went to the pharmacy to buy two different brands of pregnancy tests. Back home, I rushed into the bathroom, my hands shaking so much I almost couldn’t open the packaging. Those few minutes of waiting were the longest minutes of my life. Two lines. Both tests showed two lines. I sat on the toilet, my legs too weak to stand. I really was pregnant. Everything the comments said was true. [Told you, pregnancy confirmed!] [Female lead, Moore, is almost here!] [The villainess’s good days are over. Once the male lead regains his memory, she’ll be the first one he kicks out, for lying to him for so long.] I suddenly remembered the first time I met Johnson. He was in an accident at a construction site and was sent to the hospital, the back of his head covered in blood. But that face, that demeanor—you could tell he wasn’t an ordinary person. I was possessed, and when he woke up, I told him, “I covered your fifty thousand dollars in medical bills. I’m your lifesaver.” I thought he’d be eternally grateful and give me hundreds of thousands, or even millions, as a reward. Instead, he honestly said, “Thank you, but I’m just a construction worker… I’ll work hard to pay you back.” I was stunned then. But his face was so handsome, and he was so compliant with me. Before I knew it, we were together. Later, I quit my nurse job and let him support me. I hated that he was poor, so I cursed him every day, made him do this and that, and constantly told him to “get out.” He never said a single “no.” Thinking back now, how could he be so good to me when I treated him so terribly? I covered my face, unable to even cry aloud. [Now you know how to cry? What were you doing before?] [The villainess is also pitiful, vanity is fun for a while, but the crematorium is unavoidable.] I came out of the bathroom, washed my face, and looked at my swollen eyes in the mirror. No, I couldn’t just sit there and wait to die. The comments said I’d “use my pregnancy to throw tantrums, be clingy and refuse to let go.” So I wouldn’t throw tantrums, and I wouldn’t be clingy. I had to find a way to survive, and save my child. But… would Johnson still be good to me, who had lied to him, after he regained his memory? I sat on the edge of the bed, lost in thought, suddenly remembering the things I used to yell at him. “You’re a loser,” “I must have been blind to get with you,” “You’ll never be able to afford a house in your life.” He just remained silent then, and worked even harder, doing construction and running food deliveries. I clutched my chest; it ached terribly. In the afternoon, I forced myself to go grocery shopping, wanting to learn how to cook. Before, Johnson always cooked when he came back. I never even stepped into the kitchen. After two hours of struggling, I made a plate of completely burnt pork chops. In the end, I ate two slices of bread for dinner. When Johnson came home that evening, he saw the tidied apartment, then the bread and two plates of “dark cuisine” on the table. He froze. “You… made these?” His voice was tight. I lowered my head. “Yeah, try some.” He picked up a fork, ate a bite of the black pork chop, and swallowed it without changing his expression. “It’s delicious.” My nose stung, and I almost cried. He put down his utensils, frowning as he looked at my hands. “Don’t do this anymore. I’ll cook when I get back.” I shook my head hard. “You can’t do everything… you’re already so tired from work.” Johnson was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly grabbed my hand. “What’s wrong with you?” [Male lead, don’t touch her!] [This villainess suddenly got smart, is she faking it now?] [Even if she does this, it won’t change the fact that she lied to the male lead. He’ll definitely settle scores with her when he regains his memory!] I was startled and pulled my hand back. “N-nothing’s wrong.” He looked at me, his eyes holding tenderness, confusion, and an emotion I couldn’t quite place. I was restless, terrified he’d see through me.

Over the next few days, I was like a different person. Instead of sleeping until noon, I woke up early to have breakfast with Johnson. After he left, I did the laundry, even though I ruined one of his work uniforms. I also tried to learn how to cook, though the results were still pretty terrible. Every time Johnson came back, he’d silently take over the chores from me, pushing me onto the couch. “Rest, I’ll do it.” [Why is she faking being so virtuous? Why didn’t she think about being good to him when she used to yell at and hit him?] [LOL, even begging won’t work, female lead Moore has already arrived.] [The villainess’s fate in the later stages will be miserable, just wait and see.] Every time I saw these comments, my heart felt like it was being squeezed. But the better I treated him, the higher my chances of survival later. Even if he regained his memory and didn’t want me, at least he’d remember these few days of me being good, right? Johnson also started acting strangely recently. He kept getting calls from unknown numbers in the evenings. Each time, he’d go out to the balcony or outside the door to answer, his voice very low. He’d come back looking serious. When I asked who it was, he’d say “the foreman from the warehouse.” I didn’t believe it. The comments said Moore had found him. One night, he went to the balcony again to take a call. I quietly followed, and through the crack in the door, I heard him say, “…I don’t remember anything from before. I have a girlfriend now. Please don’t come looking for me anymore.” Then he hung up and stood on the balcony for a long time. I retreated back to bed, my heart pounding. [The male lead is so devoted, so loyal even with amnesia.] [He’ll still choose Moore after regaining his memory. They’re from compatible backgrounds, you know.] [The villainess doesn’t deserve the male lead’s true feelings. Why didn’t she think about today when she was yelling at and hitting him?] After we lay down that night, Johnson turned over to face me. “Simmons,” he called me. “Hmm?” “I’m not too tired today. What kind of fancy stuff do you want to try? I’m open to anything.” I opened my mouth, unable to speak. Finally, I managed to blurt out, “I don’t want to.” He reached out and touched my face. “Did I do something wrong? Tell me, I’ll change it.” I took a deep breath, wanting to throw caution to the wind. “Johnson, I’m actually preg—” Before I could finish, his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID, his brows furrowing. He hesitated for a moment, then answered. “Hello?” I don’t know what the other side said, but his expression changed from confusion to shock, and finally to a seriousness I’d never seen before. “I understand.” He hung up and immediately sat up to get dressed. “What’s wrong?” I asked nervously. “Something urgent came up. You go to sleep first, don’t wait for me.” He quickly kissed my forehead, put on his shoes, and left. The moment the door closed, comments floated across my vision: [Moore has arrived with a neurosurgeon. They’re helping the male lead regain his memory tonight.] [The villainess’s good days end here.] [By this time tomorrow, Johnson will be a billionaire heir, with no connection to this rental apartment.] I sat alone in the darkness, feeling cold all over. Johnson didn’t come home all night.

At ten in the morning, there was a knock on the door. I thought Johnson was back and rushed to open it. Standing outside the door was a woman, dressed in a designer outfit, carrying a Hermès bag, her makeup flawless, down to every strand of hair. She stood at the entrance of our rental apartment, completely out of place amidst the shabby surroundings, like a valuable rose stuck in a pile of trash. She sized me up, her eyes filled with unconcealed disdain. “You’re Simmons?” [She’s here, she’s here! The original female lead, Moore!] [That aura, the villainess is completely outclassed.] [It’s over, it’s over, the villainess is done for.] Before I could speak, she walked straight into the apartment, glanced at the cramped living room, and pursed her lips slightly. “My name is Moore, Johnson’s fiancée.” She turned to look at me, her tone flat. “He had amnesia, which is why he was with you. Now he’s regaining his memory, and it’s time for him to come home.” I gripped the doorknob tightly. “What’s your proof?” She took out her phone and showed me a photo of Johnson with an old man, with a luxurious villa in the background. Johnson in the photo wore a custom suit, his demeanor completely different from now—distinguished, cold, like another person. “This is a photo of him with his grandfather, Stuart.” Moore put away her phone. “His true identity is the only son of the Alston family in New York, the sole heir to the Alston Group. Do you, a nurse, really think you’re good enough for him?” Every word was like a needle pricking my heart. Because this relationship, from the very beginning, was something I’d tricked him into with lies. But hearing her say it to my face still made me so miserable I wanted to cry. “He… regained his memory?” My voice trembled. “Yes.” Moore sneered. “Last night’s treatment went very smoothly. He’ll remember everything. Do you think he’d still want you after remembering who he is?” I bit my lip, saying nothing. Moore looked around the room again, scoffing, “You let him live in a place like this? And let him work hard to support you?” “Miss Simmons, not only are you not worthy of him, but you also made him suffer so much. If you had any conscience, you’d disappear on your own.” She offered me a plane ticket. “This afternoon’s flight. Go wherever you want, just don’t come back.” I didn’t take it. Moore placed the ticket on the table. “Miss Simmons, you’ve taken care of Johnson for half a year. The Alston family thanks you. But some dreams should end.” She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Don’t harbor any false hope. After he regains his memory, the first thing he’ll investigate is that lie about the fifty thousand dollars. You know what you did.” My whole body stiffened. “Just leave. I’ll give you five hundred thousand dollars, enough for you to live on for a while.” I picked up my phone and called Johnson. No answer. I called again. Still no answer. I called seven or eight times, all unanswered. [The male lead regained his memory, he doesn’t want to answer her calls.] [He’s about to be in an arranged marriage, why would he care about her? The villainess brought this on herself.] [Honestly, five hundred thousand dollars isn’t bad. Take it and leave. It’s a better outcome than in the original story.] My last bit of fantasy shattered. I suddenly laughed, looking at Moore. “Do you think five hundred thousand dollars is enough to get rid of me?” “How much do you want?” Moore narrowed her eyes. My mind raced. Even if I had to leave, I needed to save enough money for the child. “Fifty million,” I said. “Are you insane?” “Then there’s nothing to discuss.” I turned, making a move to close the door. “I’ve been with Johnson for so long, I don’t believe he’d be so cruel as to abandon me. I’ll just cling to him and never let go, what can you do about it?” Moore’s face was ashen, veins bulging on the hand gripping her bag strap. After a long silence, she gritted her teeth. “Thirty million. That’s the most.” “Deal.” I answered quickly, though my heart was trembling. I’d never seen so much money. After the transfer was complete, Moore said coldly, “The plane is at three this afternoon. If you try to pull anything, I guarantee your life will be miserable.” She left. I stared at my phone screen. Johnson’s calls still weren’t going through, and tears splashed onto it. He must hate me now that he’d regained his memory. I sniffled, wiped away my tears, and started packing my luggage. I blocked all of Johnson’s contact information, then dragged my suitcase out of the rental apartment. As I passed the fruit store downstairs, the owner called out, “Simmons, your boyfriend ordered a strawberry cake yesterday, said he’d pick it up today. Want to take it?” I paused, then shook my head. “No, you can return it.” On the way to the airport in the taxi, I cried the whole time. The driver glanced at me several times in the rearview mirror, wanting to say something but holding back. At the airport, I checked in. I wiped my face and dragged my suitcase towards security. Just as I handed over my boarding pass and was about to go through the gate, the airport announcement suddenly blared: “Attention all passengers, all flights are temporarily grounded. Now broadcasting a search—”

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The night before my engagement party, my fiancé’s childhood friend said she had a surprise for me. She tricked me into going to the hotel’s rooftop glass conservatory, locked the door, and turned on all the sprinklers. It was a stormy December night. Ice-cold water crashed down on my head, and the conservatory walls were all transparent glass. Downstairs, guests held up their phones, watching me shiver in misery. She smiled, innocent and malicious. “Aria Hayes is always so high and mighty, isn’t she? Let everyone see what she looks like begging for mercy when she’s frozen.” My fiancé, Ethan Vance, stood downstairs, watching me through the rain. His voice was cold. “Just don’t kill her.” “Someone from her small-town background needs to learn the hard way that the Vance family isn’t easily impressed.” Later, I smashed the glass and came down from the rooftop. Wiping the blood from my face, I called my lawyer. “Notify the board. Withdraw investments, freeze accounts, and halt all project payments for Vance Group first thing tomorrow morning.” “Also, send tonight’s video to the police.” “Unlawful imprisonment, intentional assault, invasion of privacy—don’t miss a single charge.”

The moment the icy water hit me, I could barely breathe. The glass conservatory door was locked from the outside. All four walls were transparent, and the lights were blindingly bright, illuminating my pathetic state with nowhere to hide. The terrace of the banquet hall downstairs was packed with people. They stood, champagne glasses in hand, as if watching a meticulously planned performance. Some laughed, some whistled. Others held up their phones, their cameras pointed at my rain-soaked face. “This show is intense!” “Mr. Vance really knows how to have fun, arranging this kind of surprise for his fiancée the night before their engagement.” “What surprise? Didn’t Tiffany Blackwood say? It’s a test.” “A test to see if she’s worthy of joining the Vance family!” One taunt after another, they pierced through the sound of the rain and into my ears. My fingers gripped the doorknob, but the door wouldn’t open. An electronic lock hung outside the glass conservatory, its screen glowing red. Tiffany stood outside, wearing a pristine, beautiful evening gown, her makeup flawless, like an untouched gardenia. She held a white umbrella, a wide smile on her face, and waved a remote control at me. “Aria, don’t look at me like that.” “Everyone just wants to see how much you truly love Ethan.” Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was just enough for those nearby to hear, and another burst of laughter erupted from the crowd. I raised a hand to wipe the water from my face, my voice trembling. “Tiffany, open the door.” She tilted her head, as if she’d heard something amusing. “But the game has just begun.” “We made a bet to see how long you can last without begging for mercy.” She took a step closer, looking at me through the glass. “Haven’t you always said you’re independent, strong, and capable?” “Well, prove it to us.” I looked at her innocent face, my heart growing colder by the inch. Tonight was the eve of my engagement party with Ethan. The Vance family had booked the entire mountaintop hotel. Tomorrow morning, all the media would be present. Ethan had said it was the proper recognition he owed me. He said I had stood by him through the Vance Group’s toughest three years, helped him rise from a marginalized illegitimate son on the board to his current position of power. He owed me a proper status. I had once felt truly happy. For this engagement party, I had canceled three important meetings, personally reviewed every guest list, and every financial transaction. But now, the man who was supposed to give me that recognition stood in the center of the terrace downstairs. He didn’t come up, nor did he tell anyone to open the door. The rain was blocked by the eaves. Ethan stood in the warm, bright light, wearing a black suit, watching me with cold eyes as I shivered under the icy water in the glass conservatory. I shouted at him through the glass. “Ethan! Tell her to open the door!” I thought he would at least frown, but he merely flicked his cigarette ash, unhurriedly. “Aria, Tiffany Blackwood just likes to play games.” “You’re older than her, and more sensible. Don’t hold it against her.”

At that moment, the icy water pierced into my very bones like knives. I stared at him, my eyes red-rimmed. “You know I’m afraid of this!” When I was eight, I was trapped in a collapsed old warehouse. Outside, the rain poured down relentlessly, water rising above my knees. It was dark, surrounded by broken wood. My mother, trying to save me, was crushed by a fallen beam. She pushed me out, but she never made it out herself. Since then, I’ve been afraid of confined spaces, of the continuous sound of water, of any night I can’t escape. All these years, I had never told anyone. Only Ethan knew. Because back then, when the Vance Group was cornered by debt collectors in the underground parking garage, he was also locked in his car for an entire night, protecting project documents. When I accompanied him for psychological counseling, he held my hand and said, “Aria, from now on, I’ll protect you from your fears.” Now, he stood downstairs, turning my fear into everyone’s amusement. Tiffany laughed, chiming in. “Ethan said it himself, I just like to have fun.” “Aria, don’t be so petty.” She turned to face the guests downstairs, her voice suddenly rising. “Ladies and gentlemen, tonight’s bet officially begins.” “If she cries and begs Ethan to save her within half an hour, I lose.” “If she endures without begging, I’ll transfer a hundred grand to each of you.” The crowd erupted. “Miss Blackwood is generous!” “Well, then we’re definitely betting she can’t hold out.” “A woman from a small town, does she really think a designer gown makes her fit for high society?” “Is Mr. Vance really going to marry her? I always thought it was just a fling.” My fingertips went numb. Rainwater streamed down my hair and into my eyes, stinging them open. I pounded on the door. “Ethan, I’m telling you one last time, tell someone to open the door!” Ethan finally looked up at me. His expression showed no guilt, only annoyance at being publicly challenged. “Aria, do you really have to make this scene so ugly?” “Tiffany has been spoiled by us since she was little. Why are you being so serious with her?” “Besides, aren’t you the best at solving crises? You can’t even handle this small matter?” I stood there, stunned, and then a smile, grim and cold, stretched across my face. So, in his eyes, my fear, trapped in a downpour, was just a small matter. All the crises I had shouldered for him these past three years had ultimately become his reasons to humiliate me. Tiffany’s face twitched when she saw me smile. She hated this look on me, hated that even at my most pathetic, I still refused to bow my head. She raised her hand and pressed the remote control. The next second, the water pressure from the conservatory’s sprinklers suddenly intensified. Colder water poured down, and my knees buckled, almost making me fall. A collective gasp rose from downstairs. It wasn’t worry; it was excitement. “She’s about to break!” “Quick, record it! This video is definitely going viral tomorrow!” “Mr. Vance’s fiancée is quite stubborn…” Tiffany leaned closer to the glass, lowering her voice so only I could hear. “Aria, stop pretending.” “I know you’re terrified of places like this.” “Ethan told me himself.”

My heart plummeted. Her smile grew sweeter. “You thought he kept your secrets?” “Sorry, he tells me everything when he’s tucking me into bed.” “He said you were trapped as a child, so you never sleep soundly when it rains.” “He said you seem tough, but deep down, you’re still that little girl afraid of darkness and water.” My ears buzzed. These words were colder than the storm itself. Ethan and I had been together for three years. I had shielded him from the board’s power grabs, secured overseas financing for him, and revised acquisition plans for him at four in the morning. The night he had a stomach hemorrhage, I stayed by his side in the hospital all night. When he was framed by Julian Vance for embezzling public funds, I found the accounting loopholes and pulled him out of the mess. He knelt before me and said, “Aria, without you, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” “When I reclaim the Vance Group, I’ll marry you.” I thought it was a promise, but it turned out, to him, I was just a useful tool. Someone who would work tirelessly for a little kindness. Tiffany tapped on the glass. “Aria, don’t blame me.” “I just want you to recognize your place.” She looked up at Ethan, her voice suddenly softening. “Ethan, you won’t blame me, will you?” Ethan stubbed out his cigarette. “Don’t go too far.” Tiffany immediately pouted, looking wronged. “How am I going too far? You clearly promised me I could have fun tonight.” “You even said the engagement was just a temporary arrangement.” ‘Temporary arrangement’ cut through my heart like a dull knife. I looked up at Ethan. “Is she telling the truth?” Ethan frowned. He seemed not to have expected Tiffany Blackwood to let it slip in public. But quickly, he regained his aloof composure. “Since you heard it, there’s no need for me to hide it.” I was drenched, standing in the icy water, looking at him. “So tomorrow’s engagement party is also a sham?” He said calmly, “It’s not a sham, it’s just an engagement, not a marriage.” “Aria, you should understand that a Vance family marriage can’t just be about love.” “Tiffany has the Blackwood family behind her. She’s the most suitable person to stand by my side.” My nails dug into my palms. “Then what am I?” A hint of impatience finally flickered in Ethan’s eyes. “Do you have to ask such unpleasant questions?” “I haven’t treated you badly these past three years.” “You wanted a position, I gave you Vice President.” “You wanted respect, who in Vance Group dared not call you Miss Hayes?” “As for marriage, I can’t give it to you, and there’s no need to deceive you for a lifetime.” He spoke calmly, as if my three years of dedication were only worth a Vice President title. Tiffany laughed, leaning close to him. “Aria, you should be grateful for what you have.” “Someone with no connections, no family name, no parents to back you up, to get as far as an engagement with Ethan, that’s already incredibly lucky for you.” Someone nearby echoed, “Exactly.” “If Mr. Vance really married her, where would the Vance family’s reputation be?” “What good is being capable? High society wives are all about pedigree.” “Aria should wake up. She’s at most a meritorious figure on Mr. Vance’s path to power. A loyal servant doesn’t become the queen.” I looked at those who had once nodded and deferred to me in meeting rooms. They called me Miss Hayes when they respected me. Now, seeing Ethan not protect me, they immediately changed their tune. A man in a grey suit, Mark, smiled and raised his phone. “Miss Hayes, would you like me to take a picture for remembrance?” “After all, starting tomorrow, Miss Blackwood will be standing by Mr. Vance’s side.” “This look tonight, it’s your last time as the leading lady.” I didn’t say anything more because the most intense wave of fear had passed. When a person hurts to the extreme, they often become clear-headed. I raised my hand to my right ear; my earring was still there. It wasn’t an ordinary earring. Three months ago, when I noticed irregularities in the Vance Group’s internal accounts, I had my security team create an emergency device for me. By pressing it three times consecutively, it would automatically pinpoint my location and send an alarm to my lawyer, assistant, and private security. Ethan didn’t know. He always thought I had entrusted all my trump cards to him. But he forgot that someone who had climbed out of a ruin would never truly surrender their life into anyone’s hands. I lowered my head, pretending to be choked by the rain, and raised my hand to cover my ear. Once, twice, thrice. The earring vibrated slightly. The signal was sent.

Tiffany thought I was about to break, and her eyes lit up. “Ethan, is she about to cry?” “I knew she couldn’t pretend for long.” She took out her phone and pointed it at me. “Come on, Aria, look at the camera and say you were wrong.” “Just admit you’re not worthy of Ethan, and I’ll open the door.” I looked up at her. “Tiffany, are you sure you want to continue?” She froze for a moment, then scoffed. “It’s come to this, and you’re still threatening me?” “Aria, you don’t really think you’re still Miss Hayes, the one everyone at Vance Group reveres, do you?” “Your position was given by Ethan. He can give it to you, and he can take it back.” I slowly straightened up. “Then ask him if the Vance Group can still take back my position now.” A dark flicker crossed Ethan’s eyes. “Aria, what do you mean?” I looked at him through the rain. “It means you’d better pray I’m okay tonight.” “Otherwise, tomorrow, the Vance Group won’t have an engagement party, only a liquidation meeting.” The crowd laughed again, thinking I was just bluffing. Tiffany Blackwood bent over laughing. “Liquidation meeting? Who are you going to liquidate? The Vance family?” “Aria, are you frozen stupid?” Ethan’s face darkened. “Enough.” He looked up at me, his voice lowered. “Aria, don’t overestimate your importance.” “The projects you’re working on are ultimately the Vance Group’s.” “Your connections were also made on the Vance Group platform.” “Without the Vance Group, you are nothing.” I looked at him, and the last shred of pain in my heart burned to ash at that moment. “Alright. Ethan, then we’ll see tomorrow.” “We’ll see who truly becomes nothing without whom.” Tiffany didn’t like that look in my eyes. She wanted to see me cry, wanted to see me beg, wanted to see me lose all dignity in front of everyone. But I didn’t, and the smile on her face gradually faded. “Aria, you’re really tough.” She handed her umbrella to someone nearby and walked to the electronic lock herself. “Since you won’t admit you’re wrong, let’s make it harder.” She pressed another button. The automatic blackout blinds around the conservatory suddenly dropped, thick black curtains slowly covering the transparent glass. Light was cut off, and my breathing instantly became ragged. Confinement, darkness, and the sound of water pressed down on me simultaneously. My vision blurred. Tiffany stood outside the door, watching me through the last remaining gap. “You said you wanted to liquidate them?” “Come on, walk out of here first, then talk.” The curtains completely fell, plunging the conservatory into a dim twilight. Only the white lights above flickered like a malfunction, on and off. The water kept falling, each drop like the rain leaking into that old warehouse. I heard my mother calling me, “Aria, crawl out. Don’t look back.” I bit down hard on my lower lip, the metallic taste of blood spreading in my mouth. I couldn’t collapse, at least not now. There were still people outside waiting to laugh at me. Ethan was still standing there, waiting for me to bow my head and surrender. I fumbled my way to a corner. There was a decorative iron flower stand in the conservatory. I used all my strength to lift the flower stand and slammed it hard against the glass door. The first strike only left a crack in the glass. The people outside were startled. Someone shouted, “Is she crazy?” “That’s bulletproof glass; she can’t break it.” “Aria, stop struggling. It’s better to just admit you’re wrong.” I didn’t stop. The second strike, the third. My wrists were numb from the impact, the web between my thumb and forefinger split open, and blood mixed with rainwater dripped onto the floor. The cracks in the glass grew denser. Tiffany finally panicked. She banged on the door, shouting, “Aria, don’t do anything reckless!” “If that glass breaks, you’ll get hurt!” I scoffed. “Now you’re afraid I’ll get hurt?” Tiffany’s face went pale. She looked back at Ethan. “Ethan, she’s really going to smash the door!” Ethan frowned deeply. “Aria, stop.” “You’re just making things worse.” I swung the flower stand again, smashing it down. With a loud crash, a corner of the glass door finally shattered. Cold wind rushed in. I kicked hard at that.

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After a drunken one-night stand with my best friend’s brother, I became his secret girlfriend. Eight years into our secret relationship, my family forced me into an arranged marriage. “Dennis, my family gave me an ultimatum. I have to get married this year.” He paused, then lightly kissed my forehead, repeating his usual, “Just wait a little longer.” But then I scrolled through Anna, the intern’s, Instagram. The picture was her and Dennis’s marriage certificate. The caption: Got the CEO! Easy win! Eight years I spent chasing him with no results, and she got him in three months. Suppressing the bitterness in my heart, I liked the post. My comment: “Congrats! Wishing you everlasting happiness.” After that, I agreed to the wedding date my family had set. Suddenly, my phone rang. For the first time, Dennis’s voice was panicked: “Chloe, don’t misunderstand. I just lost a game with friends, that’s why Anna and I got married…” I cut him off: “Dennis, I’m getting married.” A two-second pause on the other end of the line. Dennis’s voice came through, laced with impatience, mixed with a girl’s soft laughter in the background. “Here we go again.” “Are you that desperate to get married? The company’s cash flow is tight; can you please stop making things worse?” I stood in the evening breeze, holding my phone, my voice flat, without a ripple of emotion. “I’m not making things worse. I really am getting married.” He scoffed, as if he’d heard the funniest joke. “You don’t even have a guy you’re casually dating. Are you marrying thin air?” I was about to say Nelson’s name. But he was already rushing to hang up: “Alright, I have another call. Getting married was just a dare I lost, don’t overthink it.” The dial tone buzzed. I stared at the disconnected screen, my fingertips cold and stiff. Eight years. He always said, “Don’t overthink it.” The next day, I walked into the office carrying a few boxes of donuts and my wedding invitations. The office was buzzing. Anna was surrounded by a crowd, her face flushed crimson. “Anna, you’re amazing! Mr. Dennis is such a cold person, and you got him in three months?” “You’re our boss’s wife now! Don’t forget about us!” Anna covered her face, giggling, her voice just loud enough to carry across the entire office. “It’s not what you think, really. We just lost a game and got the certificate. Please don’t spread rumors.” I sneered. She announced it to the world on Instagram; how is that not spreading rumors? Her sharp eyes caught sight of the donuts in my hand. She trotted over in her high heels, took my arm, and shook it. “Did Mr. Dennis ask you to prepare these little gifts for us? Thank you!” I was about to say no. She snatched the donuts, pushing them into colleagues’ hands. “Everyone, try some!” The crowd cheered their thanks, praising Mr. Dennis for being so romantic and thoughtful. Just then, Dennis stepped out of the elevator. Everyone cheered, shouting, “Thank you, Mr. Dennis, for the little gifts!” Anna shyly looked up at him. Dennis froze for a moment, then forced a smile, responding, “Glad you all like them.” “Those are mine.” The moment I spoke, the entire office fell silent. All eyes were fixed on me. Dennis’s face instantly darkened, a hint of panic in his eyes. “Chloe, this is the company, not a place for your tantrums.” “I’m not throwing a tantrum.” I met his gaze. “The donuts are my treat. I’m getting married next Saturday.” His face went dark, as if ink was dripping from it. He strode over to me, grinding out in a low voice: “Do you have to push my buttons like this?” Someone nearby snickered: “Chloe, we’ve never even seen you with a boyfriend. Who are you marrying? You’re not going crazy with jealousy because Anna married Mr. Dennis, are you?” Anna’s eyes instantly reddened. She bit her lip and chimed in. “Ms. Chloe, I know you used to like Mr. Dennis, but he’s just not interested in you.” “When rumors about you two started, Mr. Dennis privately clarified to us that you were just ordinary colleagues.” At her words, the way everyone looked at me changed instantly, like I was a failed gold-digger now lashing out in anger. I looked at Dennis. He turned his head away, his gaze fixed on the window, not even offering a single word in my defense. Eight years of a secret relationship. How many times had I endured client dinners for him, secured how many vital deals, how many times had he played dumb when people gossiped about me throwing myself at him? Now, he wouldn’t even grant me this small bit of dignity. Someone else joined in the taunting: “Ms. Chloe, Mr. Dennis and Anna are married now. If you keep bothering him, you’ll be a mistress. If that gets out, how will our company land any clients?” “Exactly. Trying to steal a junior colleague’s husband, how pathetic.” I looked at these colleagues I had personally trained and mentored, and suddenly felt a bitter laugh rise in my throat. I had originally planned to send them wedding invitations, but now, there was no need. My hand, hanging at my side, gripped my phone tightly. I swept my gaze over everyone. “Since that’s the case, I should introduce my fiancé.” I was about to open my photo album to show the picture of Nelson and me. Suddenly, my wrist was grabbed. Dennis snatched my phone, his face looking utterly terrible. “Everyone, get back to work!” He yelled at everyone, then dragged me by the arm toward his office. Behind us, I heard voices comforting Anna, and felt the contemptuous stares aimed at me. Inside the office, he slammed the door shut and irritably tugged at his tie. “I told you the marriage certificate was just a game! Do you have to make a scene and embarrass everyone?” “If it was just a game.” I looked up at him, my voice as cold as ice. “Why didn’t you clarify earlier? Why did you let them call me a mistress?” He choked for a moment, then spoke with a touch of self-righteousness. “Anna’s thin-skinned; I couldn’t possibly embarrass her in front of everyone, could I?” So my dignity could be trampled on. I reached out, pulled my phone from his hand, and turned to walk toward the door. My hand touched the doorknob, and I paused, not looking back. “My wedding is next Saturday. You and Anna are welcome to come.”

As I reached the underground parking garage, my phone rang. It was the HR recruiter who had contacted me before. “Ms. Chloe, about the Marketing Director position at that listed company we discussed, they’re willing to increase your salary by another twenty percent. Could you reconsider?” This salary was top-tier in the industry. “I accept,” my voice was steady. “Additionally, I’ll bring a multi-million-dollar deal with me. Please help me secure the corresponding commission.” The HR on the other end almost shrieked with excitement: “Don’t worry! We’ll make sure everything is perfectly arranged for you!” I hung up, got into my car, and my finger slid over Nelson’s name in my WhatsApp contacts. I sent him a message: “Hold off on signing the contract for now. Wait for my update.” Dennis said the company was struggling and told me not to make things worse. But in these eight years, which company crisis hadn’t I fought tooth and nail to overcome? This collaboration with the Nelson Group was something I had swallowed my pride and humbly begged Nelson for three times to get. It was a deal that could save Dennis’s company. The car exited the underground parking lot, and the scenery outside flashed past. Just like my eight years with Dennis, gone in the blink of an eye. I first saw Dennis outside my university dorm. He was my best friend Mansoor’s older brother, picking her up for summer break. He stood under a tree in a white shirt, a small mole at the corner of his eye when he smiled. I fell for him at first sight. Later, at our graduation party, we both drank too much and ended up sleeping together. I naturally joined his startup, starting as an entry-level intern. At first, he said we couldn’t go public because he was afraid people would say I got ahead through connections. I waited. After I used my own abilities to rise to the top position in the marketing department, he said he was afraid it would affect my friendship with Mansoor. I still waited. I always thought he would give me a title eventually. It wasn’t until I saw the marriage certificate on Anna’s Instagram that I finally woke up. He wasn’t unwilling to get married; he just wasn’t willing to marry me. I drove back to the apartment Dennis and I had shared for five years. Leaving the company would take a few days to process, so I decided to pack my things and move out first. I pulled out a suitcase and opened the closet; his clothes took up most of the space. I used to tell him his style was too dull and asked him to try bright hoodies. He’d say he was the boss and needed to be serious. But now, in the most prominent spot in the closet, hung several bright, trendy hoodies. It wasn’t that he wasn’t willing to change; he just wasn’t willing to change for me. I folded my clothes one by one into the suitcase when I suddenly heard the lock turn behind me. Dennis walked in. He saw my open suitcase and frowned. “Anna and I really have nothing going on. Can you please stop this?” He walked over, intending to take my hand. “Getting married was too rash of me. I’ll go to the city hall with her this afternoon to get divorced. Once the contract with the Nelson Group is signed and the company is stable, we’ll go public, okay?” I opened my mouth, about to say, “Let’s break up.” He suddenly interrupted me, glancing around the room: “Oh, right, where did you put the keys to the Flower Gardens apartment?” “In the bottom drawer of the nightstand,” I paused, then still asked, “Are you selling the apartment to cover the cash flow gap?” He paused, then smiled, his tone very casual. “Selling? No. It’s just sitting empty. Anna’s lease is up, so I told her she could move in there for now.” My heart felt like it was severely blocked by something, aching dully. The Flower Gardens apartment was the one he said he bought for us as our wedding home last year for my birthday. Now he was letting another woman live in it. He seemed not to notice my pale face and spoke again: “Oh, and the Nelson Group contract, once you’re done with it, just hand it over to Anna. Her probation period is almost up, and this deal will help her get permanent employment. Don’t worry, I’ll still give you the full commission.” Before I could speak, his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, answered immediately, his voice impossibly soft. “Mmm, I’ll send you the address. Just have the moving company go straight there…” He walked out the door while talking on the phone, not even sparing me a glance. The door clicked shut. I stood in the empty living room and suddenly let out a laugh. Turns out, my eight years of youth meant less to him than an intern who had only been there for three months.

I pulled my suitcase out of the apartment without looking back. I went straight back to my parents’ house. Ever since I agreed to marry Nelson, my mom’s smile hadn’t left her face. She rushed to greet me as I came in, taking my suitcase. “I told you Nelson was reliable. We watched him grow up; we know him inside and out. Your father and I will absolutely be at ease if you marry him.” Nelson and I grew up together. My mom and his mom are best friends; they even joked about arranging our marriage when we were babies. If I hadn’t met Dennis in college, I probably would have married Nelson a long time ago. I knew he had always liked me. This time, when Dennis’s company’s cash flow was breaking, and he was at his wit’s end, it was I who swallowed my pride and went to Nelson, begging him to give Dennis a chance for a collaboration. He was silent for a long time, but finally nodded. Thinking about it now, I was incredibly stupid. After dinner, I hid in the study to organize my work handover documents. My phone vibrated. It was a WhatsApp message from Dennis: “Coming back late, don’t wait up for me.” I looked at the message and immediately deleted his chat. By the time I finished organizing, it was past ten. I showered, lay in bed, and casually opened Instagram. The first post was Anna’s update from half an hour ago. The photo’s background was the living room of the Flower Gardens apartment. Dennis and a few friends were arm in arm, playing a drinking game, with a pile of empty bottles on the table. The caption: He called me his darling in front of all his brothers. I’m so shy. The comments below were all teasing, saying Mr. Dennis was too doting. I stared at the screen for two seconds, then calmly pressed exit. No sadness, no anger. Eight years of affection had already burned out completely the moment he allowed my colleagues to call me a mistress. A new WhatsApp message popped up. It was from Nelson: “Are you free tomorrow? The bridal shop said the custom dress is altered. Want to go try it on?” I replied, “Okay.” The next day, Nelson came to pick me up early. My mom smiled as she saw me off, even packing two boxes of his favorite pastries. In the car, I felt a little embarrassed. I scratched my head and told him: “Could you please keep the Nelson Group contract on hold for me? I’m planning to switch to a new company and want to use it as a strong start.” He turned his head to look at me and smiled: “Why not just come work for my company?” “It’s better to keep business and personal separate,” I smiled back. At the bridal shop, the consultant immediately greeted us with a smile, holding a mermaid-style wedding dress. “Mr. Nelson specifically instructed us to alter it three times to your measurements. It’s sure to look beautiful on you.” I changed into the wedding dress and stood in front of the mirror, frozen for a long time. Before, when Dennis and I passed bridal shops, if I lingered a little too long, he would say he would design a one-of-a-kind dress for me later, so there was no need to rush now. I waited eight years and never got a dress designed by him. Instead, I wore one custom-made by Nelson. “Want to take a photo for Instagram?” Nelson stood behind me, his voice very gentle. I nodded and handed my phone to the consultant: “Could you please take a photo of us together?” He paused, then his eyes crinkled in a wide smile. He quickly walked to my side, gently and courteously placing his hand on my waist. The photo came out beautifully. I uploaded it to Instagram, editing the caption: Next Saturday, Cloudtop Chapel. Everyone is welcome to join Nelson and me at our wedding. One minute after I posted it, the comment section exploded. “OMG! Is that Mr. Nelson from the Nelson Group? Chloe, you kept that a secret!” “Who was saying she was throwing herself at Mr. Dennis before? Their faces must be so swollen right now!” “Mr. Nelson is a million times better than Mr. Dennis!” As I was scrolling through comments, my phone suddenly rang. It was Dennis. I answered, and from the other end came his drunken mockery, sharp and piercing. “Chloe, you’re something else! To force me to marry you, you actually got Nelson to put on an act with you? You’ll stop at nothing for a title.” I was about to speak when Nelson suddenly reached out, took my phone, and put it on speaker. His voice was calm, yet undeniably firm, echoing through the receiver. “Mr. Dennis, Chloe and I are really getting married.” “She waited for you for eight years; I waited for her for twelve.” “Thank you for not marrying her.” On the other end, there was a deathly silence. After several seconds, Dennis’s frantic roar came through: “Impossible! Chloe, say something!”

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The day of Ashley Reed’s wedding, my mom got a call from the police department. A dismembered female body had been pulled from the river. The killer was already arrested, and the head had been identified, but no one knew who the body belonged to. The media swarmed the police station, desperate to know whose body it was. “Do you want to know? She’s the daughter of your most brilliant forensic expert’s acquaintance.” The killer licked his lips, a chilling smile spreading across his face. “Someone paid me a million to kill her. She kept screaming ‘Mom’ and her fiancé’s name when she died, but too bad neither of them loved her.” The media laughed at the killer’s outrageous claim. Everyone knew Dr. Eleanor Vance’s daughter, Ashley Reed, had it all — love, family, everything. She’d never even cried, let alone died. Only my mom and Liam Hayes, standing behind the cameras, had a profound look in their eyes. They both thought of me, thrown out of the house two years ago. “Mom, could it be her?” Liam frowned, staring at the stitched-together female corpse. The head’s owner had already been claimed; it was a head cut from another body. That girl’s parents had cried hysterically, cursing the killer for not even sparing the dead. But this killer’s even more monstrous act was killing another girl, the owner of the body before them. It had been a week. Even the killer had been caught and brought to justice, but the body’s owner remained unclaimed. The death was extremely brutal. Every bone was shattered, all ten fingernails ripped out, exposing raw, bloody flesh. Moreover, a large amount of stimulants was found in the body. The victim had been killed while fully conscious. “Impossible. Chloe is such a coward; she’d rather hide than die. Even if everyone else in the world died, she wouldn’t.” Mom spoke calmly, a face flashing in her mind, filled with disgust. But she didn’t know I was standing right beside her. “Mom, if this body really is me, would you feel even a tiny bit of heartache?” Mom looked in my direction. I stiffened, lost in her gentle, loving gaze. “Mom… can you see me?” “Ashley, why are you here? You’re pregnant. You shouldn’t be in places like this. It’s not good for you or the baby.” Mom hurried over, walking right through me. In front of her, whether I was dead or alive, I was no different from air. “Mom, Liam, you’ve run into a tough case. You’re not even coming home for dinner tonight, so of course I had to come see you. I brought food.” Ashley smiled, holding up the food. Mom quickly took it. “Our Ashley is such a thoughtful girl.” “Ashley, once this case is over, I’ll make it up to you with another wedding. You’ll still be the most beautiful bride.” Liam looked apologetic, gently stroking Ashley’s hand. “We rushed off today. I didn’t get a chance to properly apologize.” “We’re a couple, why apologize?” Ashley smiled sweetly, patting her belly, her face filled with happiness. “For the baby’s sake, I’ll forgive you.” Liam and Mom laughed heartily. Their laughter, however, felt incredibly harsh to my eyes. I turned my head away, hearing Mom say, “Ashley, the vegetable cream soup you made today tastes different from before.” A flicker of nervousness crossed Ashley’s face as she chuckled. “Mom, maybe being pregnant has made me rusty in the kitchen. I’ll practice more.” “You’re pregnant. You should cook less. Let the housekeeper do it.” Mom said, smiling with concern. I stood by, a chill running down my spine. That vegetable cream soup was all made by me. Ashley had kept me locked in a hidden cell in the basement of the villa for two whole years.

The noise outside continued, the media crowding around the killer, Dennis Black. “Whose body is it really? Why did you kill her so cruelly? Did you have a vendetta against her?” “I told you, it’s that forensic expert’s daughter, your assistant’s fiancée. Someone paid me a million to kill her. For every bone I shattered, I got an extra ten thousand, so I shattered every single bone in her body.” Dennis licked his lips, smiling at the camera. I shivered. I’d never forget that face. Two years ago, he ruined me. Two years later, he killed me. “How did I do?” “Excellent.” I saw Ashley mouth those words, then cover her belly and walk towards the corpse. “Ashley, you’re easily scared. Maybe you shouldn’t look.” Liam pulled Ashley’s arm, looking worried. “I’m fine, Liam. You and Mom are both forensic experts. I’ve seen plenty since I was little. It won’t scare me.” After saying that, she walked closer to the corpse, examining it carefully. “All her bones shattered?” “Yes, a brutal death. I can’t imagine the hatred or grudge involved.” Liam sighed regretfully, shaking his head. “The victim is likely a young woman, aged between twenty-three and twenty-five. The body fluids found were Dennis Black’s. It’s been confirmed.” My stomach churned. Thinking of that night, I felt like I died all over again. Ashley chuckled softly. “The body probably hasn’t been claimed because it’s missing its head, right? I think we should post nude photos of the body online. Anyone who recognizes it will naturally come forward.” A chill ran down my spine. I shook my head. “No… no… Liam, Mom, I beg you, don’t do that.” I was already dead. I didn’t want to be humiliated any further. “Ashley, you’re so smart! You’re truly your mother’s daughter.” Mom suddenly understood, showering Ashley with compliments. I wanted to scream, to tell everyone that I was the one who died, to beg them not to strip away my last shred of dignity. But no one could hear me. My body was posted online, drawing mostly mockery. “Gotta say, that body is truly beautiful. I bet she had a pretty face too.” “I really wish I could see what the owner of this body looked like. Such a shame to die like this.” “Thinking about a corpse? You guys must be desperate.” Ashley admired the body for a while before leaving. Liam and Mom escorted her to the door. “Ashley, once this case is done, we’ll come home and spend time with you.” Ashley nodded with a smile, then got into the car. I heard her say quietly, full of sarcasm, “Chloe Vance, I put your body right in front of them like this, and they still won’t figure out where you went. Too bad you kept screaming their names that night. How laughable.” “Now, everything you had is mine. I won.” I trembled uncontrollably, feeling utterly disgusted. Ashley Reed was the orphan I had begged Mom to bring home from the orphanage. When I met her at age ten, she was much smaller and thinner than other kids her age, sitting silently under a tree. I saw her strangle a cat. I screamed, terrified, wanting to hide, but then I saw her looking at me with pitiful, deer-like eyes. “Does everyone fear me?” Hiding behind the tree, I hesitated, then walked up to her and said, “I’m not afraid of you, but you hurt the little cat.” “Its leg was broken, and other cats bullied it. I just put it out of its misery.” Ashley assessed me, then said ingratiatingly, “I saw you today. You’re Dr. Vance’s daughter. A lot of kids went to play with you when you came.” “Why didn’t you go?” “The director told me not to get close to you.” My heart softened, an indescribable feeling. That day, I begged Mom to adopt Ashley and brought her home. But that was the mistake of my life. I shouldn’t have wished to save someone whose heart was inherently dark.

“Tell us, who is the owner of that body?” Mom and Liam sat opposite Dennis Black, their eyes filled with intense disgust for the killer. “I’ve been a medical examiner for so many years, and I’ve never seen such a brutal method of killing. Who ordered you to do this?” Mom stared at Dennis’s hardened face. “I’ve told you several times! It’s your daughter, your assistant’s fiancée. When I was hammering her bones, she kept screaming ‘Mom’… ‘Mom’… ‘Liam’… ‘Liam’… Her voice was just delightful.” Dennis spoke, gesturing with his hands. Everyone present couldn’t bear to listen. “A lying bastard.” Liam’s eyes were filled with impatience. “If you curse my fiancée again, I’ll feed you to the wolves.” “Dr. Hayes, Dr. Vance, for all your sharp eyes, you’ve searched the entire city and couldn’t find whose body it was, yet you can’t even recognize the person once closest to you. I truly pity that unloved woman.” Dennis clicked his tongue a few times, looking at Liam and Mom’s faces with a smile. “Think about it, who is it?” I stood by, watching the scene, and heard Dennis’s next words. “Chloe Vance, remember her?” Mom and Liam’s eyes widened instantly. Someone hearing that name immediately stepped forward and slapped Dennis hard twice. “How dare you say such nonsense!” “Why would I lie? I won’t live to spend the money anyway.” Dennis’s lips were bleeding, but he smiled triumphantly. “She begged me for so long, begging me to spare her life and let her see her mom and fiancé one last time. I just poured hot water down her throat, so she couldn’t scream anymore.” Liam and Mom’s faces turned grim. “Shut up, now!” Someone punched Dennis twice and dragged him away. “Dr. Hayes, Dr. Vance, Chloe couldn’t have been harmed.” “What could possibly happen to her? Fifty thousand goes missing from her card every month. What could happen to such a selfish person?” Mom said directly, “I wish she’d die out there. I wish I’d never given birth to that daughter.” I felt like I’d been plunged into an ice cellar, chilled to the core. “I’ll never forgive what she did to Ashley back then. Selfish and utterly irresponsible.” Liam’s face was filled with disgust when he mentioned my name. “Ashley’s life is far more important than hers. If she thinks she can use this method to get our attention, she’s delusional. She’s not even worth a single strand of Ashley’s hair.” Every single word pierced my ears. I gave a bitter laugh, my heart aching with a dull pain. That kidnapping two years ago, everyone believed I was selfish and wicked. But I was a victim too. Liam and I were supposed to get married two years ago, but I was kidnapped on our wedding day. Ashley was beaten within an inch of her life, yet I was returned unharmed. Everyone concluded that I had pushed my stepsister forward to save myself, but I knew nothing of that night. Everyone naturally sided with the perceived victim, and I became the worst kind of criminal. Driven out of the house, I was then locked in the basement by Ashley for two years, and all because she was jealous of me. “Why do you get all the love while I have nothing? Chloe Vance, if you hate, then hate that you brought me home.” Liam and Mom returned home, both looking distressed. “Mom, Liam, what’s wrong?” Ashley sat beside them, asking with a worried expression. “Ashley, you won’t believe it, that killer was bribed by Chloe Vance. She faked her death to make us pity her. She’ll stop at nothing, even playing with human lives.”

Mom was disgusted whenever my name was mentioned. “How did I give birth to a daughter like that?” “Chloe always loves to draw attention. I even heard she went to a hotel with a man a few days ago, and private photos were posted online…” Ashley saw their grim faces and covered her mouth. “Mom, Liam, did I say something wrong?” “No, Ashley, she’s fallen so low. Even if that female corpse is her, I wouldn’t be surprised.” Mom cursed, then saw the private photos Ashley took out. My eyes widened. These photos were taken the night I was attacked. Ashley was using photos of my forced assault to slander me. Liam threw the photos to the floor. “Disgusting.” I turned my head away, my nose burning. “She should have died two years ago, not still be alive to sicken us.” Liam’s brows were tightly furrowed, and Mom’s face was pale. “If I had known she would be like this, I should have left her at the orphanage… Luckily, our family is fine, and she won’t bother us.” “Mom, do you smell something bloody in the house?” Liam suddenly asked. As forensic experts, they were always sensitive to the scent of blood. “I smell it too. Something needs to be cleaned up quickly, or it won’t be good for Ashley and the baby.” Mom looked worried and was about to stand up but was stopped by Ashley. “Mom, it’s just some pork I bought. I haven’t had a chance to clean it yet. Don’t worry about it. Just get some rest.” Mom’s wrist was held, and she paused, then smiled and said, “Okay, you rest early too.” After saying that, she went back to her room. Inside the room, Mom saw a photo tucked inside a book on the table. She gently pulled it out. It was a picture of me, smiling radiantly, at eighteen. On my eighteenth birthday, Mom had given me a stunning pink sapphire necklace. My name was engraved on that necklace. “Chloe.” She found it an eyesore and tore the photo to shreds, throwing it into the trash can. “Chloe Vance, you truly are heartless, not coming home for two years just because of one slap, and now trying to deceive me by faking your death.” “Mom…” I called out softly, but she couldn’t hear. “Mom, right now, I hope you won’t recognize that it’s me.” Late at night, there was a sudden, urgent knocking at the door. “Mom! Wake up!” Mom opened the door to see a distraught Liam. He rarely looked so anxious. “What’s wrong? Is something wrong with Ashley?” Mom’s heart leaped to her throat. “Not Ashley, it’s about Chloe Vance.” Liam hesitated before speaking. “The police just called. Dennis is sticking to his story that it’s Chloe Vance, and… and he even pulled out a necklace.” Liam showed his phone, and Mom saw the necklace on the screen. It was that pink sapphire necklace. Her mind went blank instantly. The name “Chloe” engraved on the necklace stung her eyes. Even more striking than the pink sapphire were the dried bloodstains on it. Mom stumbled backward. I instinctively wanted to reach out. Liam steadied Mom, his lips trembling. “Also, Dennis said he knows where the head is, but we need to go to the scene ourselves.”

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